name an acre

The Camp

Scottie’s Place is the first year-round special needs camp in the United States for homeless children. Founded in 1999, the mission of the camp is to empower, educate and enliven homeless youth with programs that emphasize wilderness adventure, pioneer living and community service.

Scottie’s Place has three goals.

Within five years we will serve 200 children year-round.
We will preserve the land on which the camp operates, creating a model for other special needs camps.
We will bring national attention to America’s homeless children.
The National Coalition for the Homeless states that families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. In 1992, there were 200,000 homeless children in this country. In the year 2002, 1.4 million children became homeless in America.

Scottie’s Place is a local and national resource for children in crisis. Shelters from West Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have sent their children to Scottie’s Place. We will continue to expand our services to shelters around the country. There is nothing else like Scottie’s Place.

The Land

Scottie’s Place leases 318 acres of untouched wilderness in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. The land is a mountaintop parcel with 360 degree views, 100 year old trees and an ancient spring which provides water for the camp. The pond, orchard, meadows, deep woods, wildlife and steep terrain all contribute to the exhilarating wilderness experience for campers at Scottie’s Place. The land is bordered on two sides by federal land through which children hike to the New River. The camp is 20 minutes from the Appalachian Trail. From the highest point (elevation 2400 feet) Flat Top Mountain and the surrounding mountain chains can be seen.

This wild and wonderful land goes deep into the soul of a child. At Scottie’s Place, homeless children find adventure, friendship and healing. They are awed, thrilled and changed.

The Campaign

Scottie’s Place has launched a special campaign to purchase the land it leases and place it in trust. This campaign, called NAME an ACRE, will give Scottie’s Place a permanent home and preserve the pristine qualities of this mountain. The goal of the campaign is to raise $318,000 by May 2004. This will pay for the land, create an endowment fund for Scottie’s Place and enable the camp to expand its programs. A challenge grant of $75,000 has been pledged to inspire other donors. Each acre can be named for $1,000, a tax deductible donation. Donors may give at all levels. With each gift, the name of the donor or loved one will be permanently displayed in the Founders’ Garden.

Your support will create a permanent resource for homeless children and a replicable model of an organization dedicated to needy children and wilderness preservation: a model for preservation and service.