GINNY'S LEGACY OF LOVE

A message from Patty Hillkirk:

I am heartbroken to share the news of Ginny Fineberg’s passing on October 11th, 2022.

Ginny Fineberg’s service with Camp Dreamcatcher started in 1997 after I asked her if she could donate some hats from Sandpiper Embroidery with the Camp Dreamcatcher logo.  She said yes, and added that she needed to visit camp to see what we do and to meet the kids.  That was the beginning of her 26-year legacy of love and dedication to the children and volunteers served by our programs.  She embodied our mission to provide a loving, accepting, compassionate, inclusive and safe Home for children coping with HIV/AIDS.

Ginny moved from being a counselor into the role of Village Chief and worked with the youngest campers.  Her dedication extended well beyond the camp session, as she attended weekend teen retreats, served as President of our Board of Directors, hosted campers in her home, solicited financial and in-kind donations, and visited children and families when they were experiencing a hard time or crisis. She worked tirelessly each year as our President to raise funds to send more kids to camp.  In addition, Ginny and her children Cindy and Dan, created thousands of Camp Dreamcatcher t-shirts, blankets, backpacks, hats, jackets and other items over the past 26 years.  Each year the children and volunteers waited patiently to see the new t-shirt design for camp.

The Camp Dreamcatcher family was so lucky to bask in the light of Ginny’s love.  She made authentic contact, emotionally and physically, with every person she met.   To be on the receiving end of a loving gesture, word, or hug from Ginny was an experience where you felt completely “seen”, accepted and loved unconditionally.  If you ever visited camp, chances are that Ginny gave you a tour in her golf cart.  It was probably a long tour, as she stopped to greet and hug everyone in her path.

I have so many memories of Ginny, and one that captures the depth of her compassionate spirit is when she brought food to a family that had been homeless and just moved into a shelter.  The children were sleeping on mattresses and Ginny went around to check on each child.  One little girl looked up at her and said “oh, are you the lady who fluffs my pillow at camp?”  The child remembered the loving gesture of being tucked in by Ginny each night.  Ginny told me this story and said “for me, this is camp.”

Contributing to other people’s happiness and comfort was the true meaning of life for Ginny.  

We will honor her spirit by sharing “Ginny” stories at camp, and next summer we will create a Bundle full of memories, photos, and messages from the campers and volunteers.  Her legacy of love will live on through every loving gesture and act of kindness at camp.

We have created “Ginny’s Legacy of Love Fund” to honor her memory and to support Camp Dreamcatcher’s therapeutic and educational programs for HIVAIDS impacted youth. Ginny’s loving spirit is woven into the fabric of Camp Dreamcatcher, and her legacy will live on in our Circle of Love.

Obituary and Service Information:

https://www.radzieta.com/obituaries/Virginia-J-Fineberg?obId=26157880#/obituaryInfo