Our Why
Belong Wisconsin arose from a commitment to continuing the decade—long legacy of Camp To Belong-Wisconsin.
Eshalon Mayer, Executive Director
“I’m deeply inspired by the ability to create spaces of connection.”
Nicki Damrow, Executive Program Director
“Our society flourishes when people have a sense of connectedness & belonging.”
A Legacy of Impact.
Camp To Belong-Wisconsin (CTB-WI) was founded by Kate & Rob Bauer, and they hosted their first Sibling Camp in 2015. From 2015 through their dissolution in 2024, they served hundreds of youth and families from throughout the state of Wisconsin through Sibling Camp and Connection Events. In doing so, they created a wide reaching community of families, dedicated volunteers, and community partners. This video, created at camp in 2017, details the impact of Sibling Camp on all those involved.
CTB-WI was 100% volunteer-run, which limited their capacity to offer year-round programming. The founding members of Belong Wisconsin (BW) desired to expand the mission and reach, which required a new approach.
In October of 2024, Belong Wisconsin was officially started by a group of long time CTB-WI volunteers. We are dedicated to maintaining a sustainable organization with even more statewide reach.