News from home is very important to campers. We want to make it as easy as possible for parents to “send mail” to their campers. Therefore, we allow parents to mail, email and fax their campers. Campers receive mail, emails and faxes every day except Saturday.

Mail

Letters from home mean a great deal to campers. Please keep your letters general and newsy to help campers from feeling homesick after reading them. Send mail through the US Postal Service to the following address:

Camper Name
JCC Camp Chi
Village Name and Gender
P.O. Box 104
Lake Delton, WI 53940

Your campers are required to write home at least twice each week. We bring campers’ letters to the post office every day. Please keep in mind that mail delivery may be slow given that the Lake Delton Post Office is a small town operation.

Email

All camp families have access to Chi’s one-way email system at no additional cost. The system allows camp to retrieve, sort and print email very quickly so we can distribute it to your camper during regular, daily mail call. This convenience is only available to camp families; campers will not be able to respond via email just through snail mail. As a traditional camp, we value the growth that occurs when campers can’t rely on direct communication with their parents when making decisions.

You will receive additional information about the email system in your bus packet. We suggest setting up your email account prior to the first week of camp. This email account will also allow families to access Summer News and Photos and other important information from directors.

Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please limit your emails to one per day per camper.

Fax

Camp Chi has a dedicated fax line available to receive incoming faxes for campers. The fax number is 608.253.7328. Faxes are distributed through regular, daily mail call. Similar to email, this convenience is available for camp families, but campers will not be able to respond via fax. There is no need for a cover page; just place the camper’s name, village name and gender on top of the page. Please limit your faxes to one page per day per camper.

Phone Calls & Voicemail

Sometimes letters just aren’t enough and you need to talk to someone at camp with questions or concerns. We suggest that you begin with your child’s Village Leader by calling 608.253.1681. Camp Chi’s voicemail system provides you with their direct extensions as well as the Camp Directors and Health Center. If you leave a message, you will receive a return phone call within 24 hours unless the staff member is out of camp on a trip, in which case you will be notified.

Parents may telephone us at any time. Office hours are from 9:00am to 9:00pm (Central Time) Sunday through Thursday; 9:00am-5:00pm (Central Time) on Friday and 10:00am-8:00pm on Shabbat. If a phone call is an emergency, the Camp Directors will be sought immediately. For after-hour emergencies that cannot wait until morning, Camp Directors or a Manager on Duty are available 24 hours a day. Please call the main office at 608.253.1681 and follow the emergency call instructions.

Parents are not permitted to call campers unless it is the camper’s birthday or the call has been approved by the Camp Directors. Parental phone calls often interfere with camper adjustment, increase the likelihood of homesickness and disrupt scheduled activities.

Website – www.campchi.com

We constantly are making improvements to our website. During the summer, you can log onto www.campchi.com to see Summer News and Photos. Instructions for setting up your password protected account will be sent in the Bus Packet. Our daily summer news updates and weekly Village Leader letters let parents share the camp experience and communicate important information that you need to know about camp.

Camp Chi’s package policy is meant to balance the needs and wishes of parents, campers and camp staff with safety and feasibility of distribution. We need to control what is entering camp and the amount of packages that we receive on a daily basis, but we understand that it is fun for parents to send things to their campers while they are away. Although most camps in the U.S. have gone to a policy which forbids the receipt of packages by campers, we allow families to send care packages by following these very specific guidelines.

Each camper may receive up to two care packages. Packages include envelopes larger than 8.5”x11” and any sized box. Prior to the start of camp, each family will receive 2 special stickers. One of these stickers must be placed on each package sent to a camper. This includes packages of items forgotten at home. Any package sent to a camper without this special sticker will be refused receipt and returned to sender at the sender’s expense. Due to our health and kashrut policies, packages cannot contain food items. Please share this information with grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, friends and anyone else who may want to send a package to your camper. Please note: Two stickers will be sent per camper regardless of family martial status or whether a camper has a birthday at camp.

In addition to sending your own packages, we provide two easy and additional ways for families to send packages to campers. First, the Camp Chi Canteen provides custom care packages for campers. These packages can be ordered in the Gear section at www.campchi.com or by calling Teri Chamlin at 608.253.1681 x2126. Second, we will also accept packages from two approved vendors: Sealed with a Kiss (www.eswak.com or 800.888.7925) or Camp Pacs (www.camppacs.com or 800.248.2267).

Using the stickers, the Chi Canteen or one of our approved vendors allows us to easily recognize safe packages that you approve for your child to receive. This helps ensure that nothing unwanted enters the Chi community. We expect parents to support and uphold this policy.