To: Alice Mahan
Great Day Mrs. Alice, Thank you so much for your kind words. Khloe’ had a fantastic time in the Summer Youth Program. She learned a lot of new skills that will last her a lifetime, and she is already looking forward to returning next year. She was sad when the program ended and wishes it could have been longer; Nonetheless grateful for such an impactful Experience! Since coming home, Khloe’ has taught her younger brother as well visiting family how to play chess and has developed a newfound love for the game. She’s also been asking when we will take a yacht trip! Lol. We really enjoyed learning about the history of such a great program and love what you are doing for the community. We appreciate all the effort and dedication from the Seafarers Foundation, Inc team. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
With Gratitude, Ashley & Karl
To: Alice Mahan
Dear Mrs. Alice Mahan, West greatly appreciate and was honored we were blessed with the opportunity for Leighton come and experience what the seafarers foundations program had to offer. He was so excited to come each and every day. He was able to take home the valuable skills and knowledge of what your program embodies and teaches and we are so ever grateful for your program; it’s truly an amazing program and hope that next year we will see you all again. We hope that you have a blessed rest of the summer.
Thank you again, Brittney/Gyasi & also Leighton
To: Alice Mahan
Hi there, Ms. Alice! Thank you for this email. The camp was incredible and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity! This really pushed Keaton out of his comfort zone. For years he’s been uncomfortable with all things water, and now he’s conquered it. He’s made new friends, and reaped the benefits of a structured program all while having fun. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of things like the etiquette, chess and fitness. It really founded out the experience. Thank you again, and we hope there’s room for us again in 2025.
All the best to you and to everyone, Ms. Alice! ___ Best,
To: Alice Mahan
Hi Ms. Mahan, We were delighted with the whole program! Both Elijah and Ethan enjoyed everything. Thank you so much for everything you and your team have done to make this experience memorable!
Sincerely, Rosalind (Renee)
To: Alice Mahan
Dear Ms. Alice, Thank you, again for allowing Ruby the opportunity to participate in the Seafarer’s Summer Youth Program for the second year! She knew going into camp that at least a few friends were returning which helped to ease first day butterflies but we were not surprised that she quickly made new friends forming an early supportive girl click. Just as last year, it was a great comfort to drop Ruby off with a group capable community leaders but without knowing any of their professional accolades until the ceremony, as a mother I had peace of mind that Ruby was in good care in the hands of a room full of nurturing and firm folks that felt like grandparents, aunties and uncles. Ruby did mention that it felt stricter this year and I said their must have been a reason for the change. Each day on the way home from camp Ruby cheerfully recapped the activities for the day. She looked forward to Coach J’s morning workouts just generally enjoyed her fun and engaging personality. Both chess and swimming were hightlights. Ruby has been swimming for several years now because it’s a skill that Ryan has emphasized for both of our girls and we were glad that the importance of swimming as a life saving measure was a foundational element of the camp. Additional, daily swim lessons allowed Ruby to improve fundamentally and demonstrate her skills to her fellow campers which made her proud. Early on Ruby mention that she knew the chess competition would be more challenging this year. I knew the lessons made an impression when I asked Ruby if she would teach me how to play and she confidently and proudly said that she would. In the days after camp Ruby asked both her father and l to download chess games to our phones and has used the board given to her at camp to train us at the beginners level using pawns only. 🙂 Lastly, when asked her favorite parts of camp she said the boating and food. My husband and I are thrilled that both girls have had the kind of exposure to boating that involvement with Seafarers has afforded them. We hope that the seeds planted will continue to expand their personal, and potentially professional, interests and options as they continue to discover that the world truly is their oyster. Shout out to Ms. Solomon for her hard nosed and effective approach to securing food donations! Not only did the kids benefit but so did us parents as we didn’t haven’t to worry about packing lunches each day. (Let her know if she needs an assistant next year I’d be happy to help for the opportunity to learn from her – that’s a serious offer!). An exceptionally run two week program is noteable. A camp that is that is no cost to the families is rare. The two combined, along with being hosted by a historic and respected organization such as the Seafarers puts this experience in a class of its own. The bag of supplies is a great added bonus! Last year we missed the closing ceremony because we left for vacation on the last day but were thrilled to be in attendance this year. We enjoyed seeing and hearing from those that kept things running smoothly and effectively. Thank you for running such a tight ship, Ms. Alice, and for a great experience for the Howard family!
Sincerely, Ryan, Joi, Stella and Ruby
To: Alice Mahan
Thank you so much for the opportunity to give feedback for such an extraordinary experience extended to our children. We truly cannot express enough gratitude we have to the foundation for hosting such an important time in their lives. When my husband and I looked around at the end of camp celebration ceremony, we were overjoyed to see the children, all of African American descent freely playing and enjoying the atmosphere in a safe and well managed environment. This foundation is the highlight of our daughter’s summer. She has cultivated friendships, been empowered to improve self confidence and connected with elders and aquatic professionals from her own community; she would have not otherwise had access if not for your program. The loving discipline and structure this program provides has far more an impact you all could ever imagine. Thank you, thank you! My children shared their experiences with our family and friends in the following days of the camps end!
Hope to see you all next year and we’d like to know how we can contribute to ensuring the camp stays for many years to come serving our community of young people! What a gift!
-Ken & Athena
To: D C Johnson , Alice Mahan
Good Afternoon, Of course, I will give comments on the wonderful Seafarers Program. The program exceeded all of my expectations. It is run by people who are extremely professional and dedicated. In addition, the history of the Seafarers Organization in Eastport is important for all children to learn, especially, African American children. At the orientation, we learned about the Seafarers and listened to speakers from the Navy Academy, Coast Guard, and other organizations. The volunteers all had interesting backgrounds in marine activities and community involvement. Again, they were extremely professional and most of all caring. They focused on kindness, responsibility, manners, character etc. I told someone who was interested in the program that it was like having a bunch of Michelle and Barack Obamas as camp counselors. She immediately signed her children up! The experiences my grandchildren gained from the program are life changing. My grandson, Noah, is extremely hesitant to try new things. However, he excelled in the program pushing through his fears and anxieties to complete tasks. The daily swimming lessons gave Noah more confidence in the water. In fact, he received the most-improved swimmer award. This made him so very proud of himself. He enjoyed all of the watercrafts and fishing. Each day he would jump in the car and tell me about his day! On the last day of camp there was a graduation ceremony. When I arrived, I noticed Noah was crying. When I asked him if he felt ok, he answered ” it’s the last day of camp”. He was sad because camp was ending – evidence that he had a wonderful time. Our granddaughter, Skyler, pushed through her sea sickness fears and experienced all kinds of watercrafts from schooners to kayaks to yachts. With the encouragement of the staff, she felt comfortable on the water and enjoyed the experiences. She also improved her swimming and tried new things in the water. In addition to water activities, Skyler also learned to play chess. She came home so excited that she tried very hard (with no avail) to teach her grandmother. She was so patient with me (another skill she learned from chess) that she would say “No grandma you can’t move that piece that way – remember this piece moves diagonal only”. These skills of selfconfidence, patience, kindness will benefit the children during their school years and throughout their lives. I would sincerely recommend this program to others. In fact, I have referred children to the program and they also had a wonderful life-changing experience. I will continue to refer children in the future. I can’t say enough about this wonderful program and the people who run it.
Thanks for all you do for the children, Sheila
To: Alice Mahan Cc: Walter Reap
Thank you for reaching out to request our opinion of Seafarers Youth Program. Overall, I would rate the program as EXCELLENT! The itinerary each day is filled with development of young peoples’ minds, bodies and characters. Youth are provided opportunities to learn basic life skills, not always afforded to all communities, to include learning to swim, steer a boat, play chess, catch fish, maneuver a kayak, and multiple field trips, providing exposure to new experiences and memories to last a lifetime. Yes, we will continue to share the program with other families and what is offered. Thank you for developing Seafarers Youth Summer Program, which our kids look forward to attending every summer for years to come. To finalize with a comment made by our son Caleb, “I want to go back to Seafarers Camp, now!” Kind regards,
Vonnita and Walter