About Camp Marcella
Welcome to Camp Marcella! Welcome to Camp Marcella. New Jersey’s premier sleep away summer camp. very summer, we welcome children and adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities including blindness and visual impairment to our beautiful 200 acre property in Rockaway, NJ. We are one of the few residential camps with programs for adults age 21+ in the state, and our staff are specially trained to work with our diverse population. In addition to our summer camp programs, we also host fall and spring respite weekends, as well as events for teens who are blind and visually impaired.
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Camp Marcella is the facility designed and owned by the NJ Camp for Blind Children (NJCBC) incorporated, a non-profit organization started in 1947. At that time a casual type of camp facility existed, but to many parents it lacked the advantages of a complete camping experience. So NJCBC began recruiting the right people for the right job. With the physical work and contributions of over 1300 organizations and individuals including the Lions Clubs of New Jersey , Camp Marcella opened its gates that very summer, and has been going strong since!
Today Camp Marcella comprises over 200 acres of woodland surroundings and a clear fish laden lake, with all of its facilities designed for the best possible care of visually impaired children.
The camp is located in one of the few areas of New Jersey that has not been touched by suburban sprawl. Camp is adjacent to the Pequannock Watershed, Farny State Park and a large Boy Scout Reservation. The combination of abundant wildlife, woods, lakes and serenity brings campers to an idyllic setting.
The objective of NJ Camp for Blind Children Inc. is to provide, promote and maintain a recreational, educational and rehabilitative camp primarily for visually impaired children.
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We are ACA Accredited and DDD approved.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a safe haven for a healthy and enriching camping experience for visually impaired children.
We are all volunteers and dedicated individuals working relentlessly all year long to welcome with great pride every summer visually impaired children who will enjoy a fun vacation among their peers.
Our
Story
Camp Marcella was started in 1947 by the nonprofit group "NJ Camp For Blind Children Inc." At the time, there weren't any summer camping programs for blind or visually impaired children in New Jersey.
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As the years have passed, Camp Marcella has kept it's original mission- giving children who are blind and visually impaired a fun, accessible summer camp program. In recent years, we have seen the needs of our community shifting, so we expanded our camping programs to include sessions that serve people with a variety of different needs, offering more camp sessions geared towards children and adults with intellectual or developmental delays.
Operating as an NJ Lions Clubs project since it's inception, Camp Marcella relies on the generosity and support of many different groups around the state. Our buildings and program areas are each maintained by a different Lions Club.
For more information on how to support us, click here!
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