In This Soil, Hope Grows - Support Camp ANV 2026

The world feels heavy. Our kids are growing up with constant crises, stress, and uncertainty—and they feel it in their bodies and hearts.

At Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project (ANV), we refuse to let despair have the last word. Across Oakland, young people plant seeds, pull carrots straight from the earth, cook fresh meals, move their bodies, and discover that they are powerful, loved, and part of a community that shows up for them.

This is Camp ANV—the heart of our work.

Each summer, Camp ANV welcomes more than 200 youth ages 5–11 for six weeks of nature-based learning and joy. Campers spend most of their time outdoors farming, cooking, exploring art and science, dancing, practicing archery, and swimming. They go on weekly field trips to regional parks and museums, stretch and breathe through yoga, and express themselves through movement and creativity.

We call it nourishment as liberation: we feed bodies with healthy food, minds with hands-on learning, and spirits with joy, safety, and belonging.

To make all of this possible, we invest deeply in care. Camp ANV has a Chef on-site every day to provide nutritious meals to campers, as well as a mental health professional three days a week and a seasonal full-time Registered Nurse to add an additional layer of support and safety. Families trust us because they know their children are seen, cared for, and safe while they learn and play in the sun.

But this year, we are facing a serious challenge.

Although ANV was awarded a critical $180,000 government grant last year, the funds still have not been paid. That delay has created a sudden shortfall right as we gear up for summer. At the very same moment that families are asking, “Will my child have a safe place to go?”, our budget is under strain.

One thing, however, has not changed: our commitment that no child will ever be turned away from Camp ANV because their family cannot afford to pay.

Many of the families we serve cannot cover the true cost of camp. Your donation fills that gap. When you give, you are directly ensuring that all children have access to a summer that is safe, joyful, and deeply nourishing.

Your gift today helps to:

• Keep Camp ANV open to every child who wants to attend, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
• Fund caring, trained staff—including a mental health professional and Registered Nurse—who support our youth through a tender and formative time.
• Cover essentials like fresh meals, field trips, supplies, and enrichment activities that make camp magical and meaningful.

Think of your donation as a seed.

• A seed of safety: a child in a supervised, loving space all day.
• A seed of joy: laughter in the garden instead of worry at home.
• A seed of liberation: a young person who knows they can grow food, care for the earth, and care for themselves.

In this soil, hope grows. With your help, we can make sure that every child who needs Camp ANV this summer is here—playing, learning, healing, and discovering that a different future is not only possible, it’s already taking root.

Give today to send a child to Camp ANV and help us turn this moment of uncertainty into a season of abundance.