Before 2023 ended, we visited our junior classmen from New England involved in Camp Vohokase! The New England area has a strong 
connection to the Light Foundation, with past classes residing in Gloucester, Worcester, and New Bedford. Currently, Camp Vohokase hosts a class from Brockton, Massachusetts. Jarred Mighty, Milton Monteiro, Gaethan Sinsaire, and Rajon Burkes are all members of the 15th class representing the four-year leadership program.
The four young men are involved in our ten-day outdoor leadership program, referred to as Camp Vohokase, along with ten others from different parts of the country. Besides attending the summer camp, they also keep in contact with our Camp Vohokase Director with weekly check-ins and are required to attend Hometown Visits each quarter. The visits strengthen the relationships that have formed through bonding over meals, fun activities, and, most importantly, an educational element that involves a service project.
The Vohokase program allows young men to access unique opportunities that ignite their passion and purpose, but also gives them the power to create positive change through volunteering. The Light Foundation’s Brockton, Massachusetts, class fully embraced the spirit of service when they helped set up for the Foundation’s two-day annual signature events–our Corporate Training Day and Celebrity Shootout-at Addieville East Farm in Mapleville, Rhode Island. They hung signs, unpacked boxes, organized items in the main tent and completed a number of other labor-intensive event-related tasks. These remarkable young men demonstrated that age is never a limitation in making a difference in the world. They are the embodiment of the saying: ‘Being young is an opportunity, being a volunteer is a choice, and making a difference is a testament to the power of a compassionate heart.’
Even through all the heavy lifting, the young men understood that their work was just a slight gesture compared to the opportunities created for them, thanks to our generous donors. They realized that everything they do in the way of community service can never equal the sacrifices others have made to ensure their wellbeing. Through the program’s core values, these lessons aim to develop Responsible, Ethical, Accountable Leaders (REAL) in every young person. Our Campers hope one day to pay those lessons forward in their own communities.
We live in a time of instant gratification and the Light Foundation hopes to mentor America’s youth through “trusting the process” and doing what needs to be done to assure we keep moving forward as a nation. Matt and Susie Light, the founders of the Light Foundation, have built an organization based on great leadership. Their passion for creating R.E.A.L leaders is genuine and evident.
Stay tuned as the Light Foundation’s Vohokase Cultural Leadership Program continues to impact the lives of young men across America. Sometimes all it takes is someone to believe in you and your potential and the Light Foundation lives by that motto every day!
