Camp Barnabas picked for $600K challenge grant

Camp Barnabas, a Christian summer camp in Purdy for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, has been selected for a challenge grant.

The summer camp operated by the Barnabas Foundation must raise $1 million by April 14, 2027, to receive the $600,000 challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, according to a news release. The nonprofit has raised $370,000 to date toward the challenge grant, said Abby Smith, marketing director for the Barnabas Foundation.

"This grant is a tremendous opportunity, but it depends on the support of our community. Every donation brings us closer to unlocking these funds," Barnabas Foundation CEO Bernadette Losh said in the release.

The funding would be used for the nonprofit's accessible cabin project.

To date, more than $3 million has been invested to complete the first of five accessible cabins. The project raised $1.2 million last fall during the Glamping for Camping fundraiser, according to the release.

Construction on the remaining five cabins is slated to start this fall, pending completion of the campaign, officials say.

The 2,730-square-foot cabins nearly double the size of the original cabins and provide features such as double-door wheelchair access and expanded space between beds, according to the release.