About Children with HIV/AIDS

Children with HIV or AIDS face many challenges. While they want to lead normal lives going to school and making friends, fear, ignorance, and prejudice can create isolation and despair for these children. Like millions of other children, they want to go to summer camp. They want to run and play in the sun with other kids. They want to sit around a campfire at the end of a day filled with fun activities and sing silly summer camp songs in the dancing firelight; to eat breakfast in a dining hall ringing with joy and activity. 

Facts and Figures

• According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 14,000 children in the United States under the age of 19 have HIV/AIDS.
• Thousands of children are impacted through a parent or sibling living with the disease. 
• Three-fourths of the children attending Camp Heartland are living at or below the poverty level. 
• Due to the loss of their parents from HIV/AIDS, more than half of Camp Heartland campers live with relative or foster families. 
• Since its inception, Camp Heartland has lost more than 50 of our young campers to HIV/AIDS and complications of the disease. 
• Throughout the year, Camp Heartland serves more than 700 children. 
• Camp Heartland funds 100 percent of the camper's experience. 
• Camp Heartland educates thousands of people from across the country each year about compassion and prevention through our Journey of Hope AIDS Awareness Program.