Molly Steinsapir Foundation Collects Items, Donations in Support of Camp Harmony 

By LILY TINOCO and SARAH SHMERLING

The Molly Steinsapir Foundation partnered with Camp Harmony for the month of June, with two events in Marquez Knolls, to raise funds and collect items to support the camp.

The foundation was launched to honor the life and legacy of its namesake, Palisadian Molly Steinsapir, who died at the age of 12 in February 2021. It aims to “advance charitable causes that Molly cared deeply about.”

“I sprang into action and started raising funds and collecting items to stock the camp ‘store,’” said Molly’s mom, Kaye Steinsapir, when she heard from her daughter’s best friend and former camp companion’s mom that the camp needed items for its attendees.

Camp Harmony is an overnight camp program, organized by United in Harmony, a nonprofit, non-sectarian organization that was established in 1989 in response to homelessness and poverty facing the youth in the community. Each session hosts approximately 300 campers from underserved areas in and around Los Angeles County.

The camp is “designed to help children experiencing poverty develop positive self-esteem … and empower them in their future endeavors,” according to the camp website.

“Campers arrive by bus to meet their new specially chosen counselors and the fun begins,” according to the website. “Over 30 different activities a day keep children engaged, excited, enriched and athletic.”

The Molly Steinsapir Foundation arranged two lemonade stands in the community in support of Camp Harmony, where funds and items were collected.

The first was held in front of Marquez Charter Elementary School on Monday, June 10, and featured a visit by Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Nick Melvoin and Palisadian District Director and Senior Advisor for District 4 Allison Holdorff Polhill. Melvoin is a former Camp Harmony counselor and currently serves as a director.

“His commitment to solving educational inequity was first sparked as a volunteer at Camp Harmony more than 16 years ago,” according to Melvoin’s website.

The second lemonade stand was held at the Steinsapir residence in Marquez Knolls on Saturday, June 15.

Community members were encouraged to donate a new bathing suit, or contribute a donation or item from wishlists that contained items and sizes requested by Camp Harmony.

“We had an incredible turnout,” Kaye said to the Palisadian-Post. “The Molly Steinsapir Foundation has fully stocked Camp Harmony’s ‘camp store’ with bathing suits, shorts, pants, T-shirts, sweatshirts, new sneakers and sandals, socks, underwear, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant, towels, and more for all 300 campers for their week of camp.”

Truckloads of the donated items will be delivered to the camp on July 9.

Kaye said she will be volunteering with Camp Harmony in August to meet the campers and provide them with #TEAMMOLLY shirts.

“I come from a background that is similar to many of them,” Kaye said. “I graduated from high school because of my English/history teacher who helped me turn my life around. We are still close today, over 30 years later.”