CAMP CADI

CONTACT: Jennifer Fortney
773/529-7547,
jfortney@cascadecomms.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

ONE-OF-A-KIND CAMP GIVES GIRLS CHANCE TO HEAL

CAMP CADI Offers Survivors/Thrivers of Childhood Sexual Abuse Rare Opportunity

August 15, 2008 (Atlanta, Ga.) - Years ago, Amy Barth was a victim of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA). Today, a survivor/thriver, she gives young girls a rare opportunity to heal at a one-of-a-kind camp created specifically for CSA survivors, CAMP CADI. This month Barth's organization Safe Girls Strong Girls (SGSG) launches its newest camp in West Milford, New Jersey, and she launches the program nationally this year.

Safe Girls Strong Girls is gearing up for CAMP CADI, a four-day program to be held for girls age 15-19 August 28-31, 2008 in partnership with Camp Vacamus in West Milford, NJ. Conceived by SGSG's founder and CSA survivor/thriver Amy Barth, CAMP CADI is the first of its kind, offering girls ages 9-19 a unique opportunity to enjoy the fun-filled, memorable moments that only a true camp experience can provide.

"Too often, CSA survivors/thrivers suffer in silence, feeling ashamed and isolated," said Barth. "At CAMP CADI they realize that they're not alone. Ultimately, it's about connection, connecting with others and learning to reconnect with the simple happiness of childhood."

CAMP CADI (Gaelic for "simple happiness") encourages survivors to reclaim the joy of childhood by providing a creative mix of traditional camp experiences, fine arts and experiential learning programs in a playful, exciting and safe environment. Campers will gain confidence-boosting skills during interactive workshops, while rediscovering their own voice through music, drama, journaling and other arts related activities. In company with their peers and under the guidance of experienced counselors, they'll experience the power of community as they make new friends, release painful emotions and gain a new sense of empowerment. And most importantly, they'll get to have fun.

Amy Barth was only seven years old when she was first sexually abused. He was a 13-year old boy and friend of the family who invited Barth to join his "secret club", where he played games that "big girls and boys played". Barth was molested and raped by the boy for 10 weeks until she told someone. After that, the boy was never seen again and nor the subject discussed.

Like most cases of early Childhood Sexual Abuse, Barth was vulnerable to future abuse. In high school she was molested for two years by a 38-year old neighbor and member of her family's temple. The abuse stopped the day she graduated from high school, but the scars were deep. Soon after the abuse ended Barth developed an eating disorder.

Barth went on to attend Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelors Degree in Child and Community and completing graduate courses in Counseling Psychology.

Full camperships are available to girls who have been recommended for the program. Each child is first screened by a community or private psychologist to determine suitability and then meets with a Safe Girls Strong Girls representative to make plans for attending.

For more information about CAMP CADI, please visit www.safegirlsstronggirls.org.

ABOUT SAFE GIRLS STRONG GIRLS
Founded in 2005 by Amy Barth, the Atlanta-based Safe Girls Strong Girls fosters and promotes healing for girls ages 5 and up who have been sexually abused. SGSG offers an innovative, positive approach using art therapy, workshops and more to break the silence of child sexual abuse, enabling girls to be heard, hearts to heal and spirits to soar. The organization hopes to have a presence in every major American city by 2014. To learn more visit www.safegirlsstronggirls.org.

ABOUT CAMP CADI
CAMP CADI is the only camp of its kind in the United States and was created by Safe Girls, Strong Girls founder Amy Barth. The typically one-week camp allows girls ages 9-19 a place to heal through arts, crafts, activities and sharing their stories with others. The first camp was held at Camp Twin Lakes in Georgia. In 2008, SGSG launches nationally with a camp in West Milford, New Jersey, Camp Vacamus. Each child is first screened by a community or private psychologist to determine suitability and then meets with a Safe Girls Strong Girls representative to make plans for attending. CAMP CADI offers a unique opportunity for CSA survivors/thrivers to enjoy, for one week, the fun-filled, memorable moments that only a true camp experience can provide in a playful, exciting and safe environment. Full camperships are available to girls who have been recommended for the program. To view a video on CAMP CADI visit http://www.safegirlsstronggirls.org/Camp-CADI.html.

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