WESTLAKE VILLAGE : YMCA Can’t Meet Demand for Aid
Due to a tripling of the number of applicants, the Triunfo YMCA in traditionally wealthy Westlake Village has been forced to turn away most children from low-income homes who applied for summer camp financial aid, according to the camp’s director.
More than 60 residents of Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Oak Park--mostly well-to-do areas--asked for financial aid, called camperships, for their children this summer, said Pete Regli, the Y’s executive director. All 20 applicants were accepted for the camp last year, he said.
It is the first year Triunfo’s campership program has been overburdened since the facility opened four years ago--a fact Regli attributes to tough economic times in the region.
“You have a lot of families who were doing fine and still live in big houses, but maybe someone has lost their job and the family is unable to send their kid to camp by themselves,” Regli said. “There’s also a lot of single parents who need somewhere to send their kids while they work.”
The camperships, which cover the $95-$115 weekly camp fee, are funded through donations to the YMCA.
Information about how to donate or sign up on the waiting list is available at (818) 706-0993.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
