Camp Silver Beach receives $100,000 matching grant

YMCA Camp Silver Beach has received a $100,000 matching grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation to support a $7 million campaign funding improvements at the Eastern Shore camp.

The “Camp Silver Beach: The Next 25 Years” campaign has raised $6.5 million since its launch in May 2025, leaving $500,000 to reach its goal. The foundation will match eligible donations dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.

“For 25 years, Camp Silver Beach has been a place where children find their confidence, make lifelong friends and discover what they’re capable of,” said Michele Catalano, chief development officer for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads. “We are incredibly grateful to the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation for investing in the future of camp and giving our community an opportunity to make their support go even further.”

The campaign will fund renovations to the camp’s dining hall, amphitheater, chapel and sports pavilion. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 22, and the improvements are expected to be completed before the 2027 summer camp season begins in May.

To receive the entire grant, the YMCA must raise $100,000 in eligible contributions by May 2027. Donations made to the capital campaign after May 15, 2026, qualify for the match. No more than half of the matching contributions may come from another private foundation.

Camp Silver Beach opened in 2001 on 151 acres along the Chesapeake Bay in Jamesville. More than 50,000 children have attended the camp during the past 25 years. The facility also hosts families, schools, churches and community organizations for retreats, outdoor education and other programs.

“Reaching this point has taken the support of people who understand what Camp Silver Beach means to the children and families who experience it,” Catalano said. “Now we have an opportunity to finish what we started and make sure this place is ready for the next generation.”

Additional information about the campaign and making a donation is available at ymcashr.org/camp-silver-beach-next-25-years.