Who we serve

Camp Arroyo is a year-round camp open to special needs children from Northern California. During the summer months, and for 10-12 weekends throughout the school year, Camp Arroyo is solely available to children suffering from life-threatening diseases, disabilities, and youth at risk. During the school year, Camp Arroyo is used as an environmental education center by local schools.

Groups who attend Camp Arroyo are selected without regard to gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, financial ability or cause of disease.

If you are interested in forming your own camper group, please click here to download the Campership Application form and fax back to TTFF at 925-455-5008. You may also contact TTFF directly at 925-455-5118, or TTFF@ttff.org. The following is a sampling of groups that have attended Camp Arroyo. Each group is responsible for deciding which campers may attend.

Camp Wonder - Camp wonder welcomes children with ichthyoses, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.  All of these diseases are chronic, do not have a cure, and have significant impacts on the affected child’s growth and development.  A significant number of children with ichthyoses and EB don’t live past their teens.  Those that do require intensive and meticulous medical care, including full body bandage wraps, high potency topical steroid applications multiple times daily, and intensive surveillance for life-threatening opportunistic infections and skin cancers.

We Can Brain Tumor Survivors – Pediatric brain tumors are the number one cause of death by cancer in children today, with survivors facing a lifetime of physical and cognitive disabilities that affect their daily quality of life. Camp Arroyo provides a comfortable, non-stressful environment for these kids to feel empowered and hopeful.

Camp Taylor – As the most common birth defect, 40,000 babies per year are born in the United States with a congenital heart defect. It is also the number one cause of death during the first year of life, with more infants dying from heart defects than from all other childhood cancers combined. 

Camp Sunburst – There are currently 1,950 children and youth in Northern California living with HIV/AIDS. Even in this day and age, it’s still an illness of secrecy, with the same stigma and discrimination that exclude children from experiencing a childhood of acceptance.

Gut Busters – Children with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) suffer from chronic stomach pain, diarrhea, bleeding, anemia, and growth failure. Almost all require immunosuppressive therapies that can have serious side effects.

Exceptional Needs Network (ENN) – According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately one in every 150 children born in the United States has autism, with a new case being diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes. Currently, there is no medical detection treatment or cure for autism, the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. today.

Celiac Camp – Onein 133 people have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity; the only treatment is a gluten free diet. Due to late diagnosis—usually long after the first symptoms occur—many children fail to thrive because of malnutrition. Celiac camp at Camp Arroyo provides a safe eating environment with no worries of becoming ill. 

Diabetic Youth Foundation (DYF) – Each year in the U.S., over 15,000 children, or 40 children per day, are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The disease, which destroys insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells and results in the body’s inability to process blood glucose, creates a challenging, life-threatening chronic condition.

Camp Opehay (Bipolar Disorder) – Pediatric bipolar disorder is a chronic, serious illness of the brain, said to affect up to 2% of children and adolescents worldwide. It is characterized by extreme, disabling shifts in one’s mood, energy and thoughts.

Camp Hope – Research suggests that approximately 90% of all students will face the death of a sibling, relative, or close friend before finishing high school. According to the Child Bereavement Study at Harvard University, a significantly large group of children show serious emotional problems after the death of a parent.

Little Heroes Camp – The Firefighters Burn Institute, a grass roots firefighter non-profit, has instituted this burn recovery program for small children who have experienced a life-altering burn injury. Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp helps parents and caregivers address the emotional and physical challenges associated with burn recovery for their little ones.

California Fairplay (Asthma) – According to the California Health Interview Survey, Sacramento was one of 13 counties where the rate of childhood asthma was higher than the state average of 16.1%.

Camp Breathe Easy (Children’s Hospital Oakland, Asthma) – Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood; 10 million school days per year are missed as a result of childhood asthma. In addition to a fun-filled experience, this camp offers education on the condition, with games and group discussions.

Camp Erin (Kara-Grief Foundation) – One in five children will experience the death of a family member, and six out of every ten school age children experience a loss of an immediate family member.

Me One Foundation – On average, 19 people per day in Northern California hear the words, “You have cancer.” For families afflicted with this disease, we offer Camp Challenge, a place that removes the daily focus from fighting the disease, and offers a refuge of laughter, relaxation, and an opportunity to embrace life and be victorious.

Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California (HFNC) – There are over 800 children and 400 adults in Northern California with inherited bleeding disorders, including hemophilia and Von Willebrand Disease. A weekend at Camp Arroyo offers these children and their families the opportunity for education, bonding, and nurturing in a safe, supportive environment.

Sickle Cell Camp – Sickle cell disease, the most common blood disorder in the United States, and the most common single gene disease in the world, is an inherited blood disorder affecting red blood cells. In the United States, 21 children per day—or 8,000 per year—are born with sickle cell disease.