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From the ashes, we will rise…

by Campowerment Crew
 ∙ Nov 15 ∙ 5 Min Read

This community has stood for women being FOR EACH OTHER since it was just a germ of an idea born in Tammi Leader Fuller’s brain + heart in 2012 (pre- camp #1 in January of 2013). 

On her very first drive up to Camp Gindling Hilltop, Tammi knew this was going to be the place where people would gather to disconnect and reconnect, to transform and grow. As Tammi walked the grounds and took in the unbelievable view of the Pacific Ocean, she saw it all so clearly: this was the place a tribe could grow…where women could laugh and play and disconnect and push themselves past their comfort zones, and find their wings.

In January 2013, Camp Gindling Hilltop hosted the first ever Campowerment women’s weekend. Those women’s weekends have gotten quiet the facelift since that first one, but the end result was always the same: re-ignited lives and sisterhood. 

Women come to Campowerment to learn they are not alone, to find a title that doesn’t include daughter, wife, mother or employee, and to disconnect and recalibrate their souls: to understand they have the power to create the life they’ve been dreaming about. And now, companies and groups are looking to Campowerment to recreate that experience for their employees and members.

When we had to pull the plug on what would have been our 23rd women’s weekend because of a mandatory evacuation out of Malibu (due to the potentially impending danger of the Woolsey Fire), we had no idea  that the very next day, our special place  (a special place for so many, in fact, both within Campowerment and outside of it) would be leveled by the devastating Woolsey Fire.  

We are so grateful to have been evacuated, and that this happened before 160 women arrived, and that our community was safe, but we became painfully aware we had lost everything— all of our physical assets (which, as it turns out, are the only part of this business that was uninsured).  So, we did what we so often encourage our own Campers to do: we asked for help.   

And they (YOU!) showed up.  Big time.  We are overwhelmed by all the love, and in between the sadness of all that was lost, we are reminded just how much this community has been there, always for each other.  Our GoFundMe hit 5 figures in 24 hours.  But still, our community kept asking, “How can I help?”  The truth is, we still need help, financial and otherwise.  

As devastating as this fire has been for us and so many, we are looking forward to rebuilding a better, stronger foundation, so that we can continue to provide for this community and beyond.  

Here’s how you can help us rebuild: 

  1. If Campowerment inspired you, or helped you shift your perspective on something in your life, or moved you in any way, please tell everyone you know about your experience. We want to help more people get what YOU got from Camp, and we want your help to expand our reach. Scream it from the rooftops, or on social media or through personal emails.
  2. If you know any companies or groups who want to empower their people to thrive and further their mission, or revamp their culture by building slices of their own communities like the one we’ve grown from scratch, please connect us. We are redefining the meaning of corporate leadership and wellness retreats, and want to help companies grow and deliver a program unlike any other in the corporate space.  We’ve taken our program to Nestle, SnapchatBioMatrix, Lululemon and nonprofits like HIFF, to help their people thrive. And the results have been off the charts. Please reach out to chelsea@campowerment.com to set up a chat if you want s’more info.
  3. We are still taking donations on our GoFundMe page, with a goal of $150,000 to replace all that was lost, and to be able to give a portion of that to help rebuild Gindling Hilltop Camp and Fulcrum Adventures (the warriors who own + operate the Ropes Course, with gifts from our community to theirs. Donate HERE.
  4. If this movement has moved you at all, share our GoFundMe campaign with friends and family. You can forward the email that was sent to all past Campers and community members, or share the post that’s on Campowerment’s Facebook page.
  5. Purchase or bid on a jean jacket from our friends at giving partner One Tough Bitch. The proceeds will go to Give Her Camp to send deserving women to the Campowerment weekends that will certainly come (and be even stronger) in the future…and to Campowerment’s rebuild efforts.
  6. Shop for anything else you dig from One Tough Bitch, as their team is also donating 50% of the sales from these products to Give Her Camp and Campowerment. 
  7. Sign up for Campowerment in 2019.  We’ll be on the East Coast from Sept 19-22, in the Pocono Mountains, PA and on the West Coast from Nov 1-4, in Ojai, CA.  We’re coming at 2019…big…with the best women in the world. Be one of them. Commit now.

We thank you for donating, for sharing your stories and connections, and as they continue to pour in, we’ll keep building and rebuilding. WE ARE BEYOND grateful for the support. 

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Our founder Tammi Leader Fuller spent 30+ years as a TV producer before rediscovering her true passion: camp culture as a vehicle for growth.
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