About Us

Overview

ESLCC works to accomplish their mission by holding activities, primarily summer camps, where the personal attributes of young people can be emphasized and expanded.

With a loving and supportive staff in a beautiful, natural surrounding, young people can experience successes, learn about and creatively express themselves, and develop life and peace-making skills. Supporting activities are held during the year to reinforce the attitudes and skills developed at camp.

Camp and activity staff are mostly volunteers coming from East St. Louis and Metro St. Louis. Many are past campers who have grown up in the ESLCC program. All have a deep love for the children and feel happy and privileged to share their gifts with the young people.

We help you design the life you want.

The mission of the East St. Louis Community Camps (ESLCC) is to help urban youth develop self-respect, and appreciation for the people and the world around them.

Our History... Began in 1971.

The East St. Louis Community Camp has a long history. The camp began as a dream of Howard Fisher who wanted to bring a camping experience to the “inner city” kids of St. Louis each summer. He ran several camps, which were called Camp Personality. East St. Louis children were in attendance at these camps.

In 1971 a Chapter of Camp Personality was started in East St. Louis and camps were held at Brush Creek in Illinois.

The East St. Louis Chapter held two camps each summer, serving 50 to 60 children at each. The program was highly integrated into the youth program of the East St. Louis Community of Christ Congregation – lots of activities, skates, parties, etc. The World Church helped support the program with funds and personnel during this time and there was money available for equipment and activities.

Once the grant monies from the World Church were gone the personnel also had to leave and the local congregation could not keep up the intensity of the program. The program went one year without camps, and then several individuals from the church and community decided to continue the program feeling that it was too good of a program for the community children to do without.

In 1988 the camps became sponsored by Camp Woodland Hills where the camps are still held today. The camp name was officially changed to East Saint Louis Community Camp during this period. Then in 2004, ESLCC became its own 501(c)(3). The majority of the supporting funds were coming from outside the original sponsor (Community of Christ Church) making the need of the program to become independent.

The active volunteer staff, 11 member board, and 12 consultants believe that the purpose of the program is mostly that of extending love to the kids – or trying to exhibit what healthy relationships are like by how we interact with the children. Teaching them respect for themselves and each other, peace-making skills, and increase their self-esteem to better themselves and their community.

Overview

We help you design the life you want.

Our History... Began in 1971.

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