Families

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Join Us at Camp Agape Northwest

Camp Agape Northwest provides a cost-free week-long camp for kids with cancer and their families. We believe that when a child is sick, the whole family is affected and in need of care and healing. Camp Agape Northwest hosts approximately 15 families per year, prioritizing those who live or receive treatment in Washington State. Each family is invited to attend camp for two years.

Why Camp Exists

Camp Agape Northwest was born from love and understanding. Our first directors were parents who had walked the unimaginable path of childhood cancer with their own children, alongside members of the Greek Orthodox Church who, while visiting hospitals, recognized the profound and unique burdens these families carry. They saw how cancer isolates families—how it brings fear, uncertainty, and impossible choices no parent or child should ever have to make. They saw how siblings carry quiet worries, and how parents carry endless weight.

Camp was created to be a place where none of that has to be carried alone. A place where families can meet others who understand without explanation, where children can laugh freely, where siblings feel seen, and where parents can finally exhale. Here, families are free from the daily demands of caregiving, cooking, and constant vigilance, and can instead focus on connection, restoration, and healing—surrounded by a community rooted in Agape, unconditional love.

Eligibility

  • A child in your family, ages 0-18, has been diagnosed with cancer. Families at Camp Agape Northwest are at all stages in their cancer journey, from newly diagnosed, mid-treatment, to post treatment. We understand that the end of treatment is not the end of the journey.

  • You are open to an amazing week, where you will stay overnight at camp from Monday - Saturday.

  • Your child’s doctor can verify before camp that the following health thresholds are met, to ensure that camp is a safe environment for your child:

    • Minimum blood count requirement of absolute neutrophil count of 1,000

    • Platelet count of 50,000

    • Hematocrit of 25

We prioritize acceptance for families who live, or receive treatment in, Washington State. If you are eligible to attend, but facing barriers, we would love to talk to you about ways we can help! Contact us.

Next Camp: July 27 – August 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

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Please reach out to families@campagapenw.org if you have any questions about camp or your application!

  • Families attend camp for no cost. During your week, food, espresso, snacks, activities, and a parents night out are all included. Further, if you need camping supples or other things in order to make this week possible, please let us know. We never want cost to be a barrier to attending.

  • Camp is on Raft Island, near Gig Harbor, Washington, about an hour south of Seattle. We do not want families to face any barriers coming to camp, so please reach out if you have any transportation needs.

  • Camp is for the whole family! This includes anyone in your household who is involved in or impacted by the child’s care. We know all families are unique! Whether you live with cousins, grandparents, foster children, or your best friend who moved in to help – they are welcome!

  • Families stay in rustic-style cabins with bunk beds and a heater to keep things cozy. Some cabins have their own bathroom and shower, while others have a personal porta potty and use the showers in the main bathhouse (we match cabins based on family needs).

    We handle the rest: all your meals, an espresso cart to keep you going, and evening appetizers for parents. Nights are filled with music, dancing, and games.

    Basically, the best kind of camping.

  • In our 30 years of Camp, we’ve welcomed some incredible families. Alongside children diagnosed with cancer, we’ve had parents going through their own cancer journeys, kids with Down syndrome, non-verbal children, campers who are deaf, kids with autism—and one year, a kid who would only eat Cheetos.

    Our volunteer team is made up of amazing people, including professionals in medical, mental health, and other supportive fields. We do our best to match each child with a buddy who can support them fully throughout the week.

  • Just let us know what you need! We prepare meals for people with celiac disease, and have protocols for food allergies. We can do vegan or vegetarian meals, and we can have that one favorite food or snack on hand, when needed. We know that children in treatment can have issues with food or nausea. Just let us know and we will make sure your child (or you) are safe and included.

  • Yes, we have a full medical team on site and accessible 24 hours a day. Many work at Seattle Children’s and are experienced in pediatric oncology. They are experts in everything from scraped knees to symptoms of treatment.

    All medications will be kept in the nurse’s cabin. We ask that you administer your child’s medication in the nurses’ cabin, keeping the same routine you have at home.

  • For the safety of our camp community, we run background checks to screen for offenses that could indicate a risk of harm to others. We do not screen for citizenship or immigration status.