Montauk's Camp SoulGrow, Free for Kids, Opens New Studio, Expands to Hampton Bays

MONTAUK, NY - There's something magical happening in Montauk — and changing the lives of children forever.

London Rosiere, 30, founder of the not-for-profit Camp SoulGrow in Montauk, says she decided to pursue her dream to show kids they can choose to be whoever and whatever they want to be. "I wanted the kids to be able to feel free and offer a platform for their voices to be heard. In a world full of negativity and pressure, I wanted the kids to know they have something that is their own, with their interests in mind first and foremost."

Being a not-for-profit affords Rosiere that freedom, she said.

And classes at Camp SoulGrow are also free for children.

Now, Camp Soulgrow is opening a new studio in Montauk and expanding to Hampton Bays Wednesday.

"Kids these days have so much pressure on them — to excel in school, to fit in, and to rush to grow up and be mature," she said. "Camp SoulGrow aims to eliminate those pressures by offering free workshops for them to meet new people on a totally unbiased basis, learn new things with zero pressure of being graded, and the freedom to come and go when they want."

The program, Rosiere said, has an "open-arms" approach. "We are teaching the children real things, from real people, and giving back to our community in real ways. Camp SoulGrow was built to give the next generation a hand up and help them grow with confidence, while bringing the community together and building lifelong passions and friends."

Camp SoulGrow offers a wide array of workshops and volunteering opportunities for children and the community, so that all can learn and grow from one another, Rosiere said.

The "camps" are 90 minutes long, with 15 kids ages 7 and up, all free.

"As children’s lives are fully scheduled for them, Camp SoulGrow offers children the power to decide what they want to do. We strive to help children to be well-rounded and open-minded, by showing them as many hobbies and inspirations as possible from all walks of life," Rosiere said.

Past camps have included gardening, drumming, sailing, farming, carpentry, water sports, golfing, singing, dance, and other topics.

The local community is welcome to come volunteer. "We use our community as the classroom and the people our teachers. We interconnect the business with the youth and show children there are heroes living everywhere around them, offering hope and friendships to last a lifetime," she said.

The goals, she said, are to nurture creativity and provide opportunities for children to build confidence and self esteem, utilizing the "entire community to teach children new skills, hobbies and passions to open their minds and learn outside the classroom," with an eye toward creativity and entrepreneurship. "We enchant kids with adventure, knowledge, and fun without them relying on technology to do things for them."

Rosiere, born and raised a dancer in New Oreans, flew to New York at 19 to film a commercial. She was stranded when Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home.

"I decided to rebuild in New York City, working in fashion to pay my bills, while my heart wanted to do more," she siad.

Having volunteered for the Ronald McDonald House for several years, Rosiere started to devote her life to helping others.

In 2008, she embarked on a solo mission to Africa where she volunteered at The Watoto Wa Baraka Orphanage in the Makuyu Village of Kenya, with no electricity or running water.

"Struggling with living my purpose and being able to pay my bills, I became a personal trainer and started dancing again, with the hopes to one day tie in everything I was meant to do for the greater good," she said.

To challenge herself, Rosiere also began participating in marathons as a way to give back, running 15 full marathons and raising more than $65,000 for various children’s charities.

Taking time to heal after loss

After losing her mother in April of 2014, Rosiere came to Montauk "to take time and heal in nature."

Soon, she realized she'd found the way to do good work with her inheritance, and created Camp SoulGrow. "I have been living in Montauk since her death and passionately, tirelessly, working day and night to build this into something the kids and families know they can count on," she said.

Adult workshops have also been kicked off, she said. "We aim to help people find their purpose and shine their light."

Montauk, Rosiere said, is the perfect location because of abundant nature and a diverse culture. "With summers and winters being very different, Camp SoulGrow aims to bridge the gap between demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds and offer children the opportunities to see each other as equals."

New this summer are the Hampton Bays location, unveiled Wednesday in Squiretown Park, as well as a new Camp SoulGrow Studio, opening on May 25 at 7 The Plaza, offering a fully inclusive dance, photography, painting, woodshop, music, vocal and open studio year round.

On June 24, the kids' first day of “freedom” after the school year ends, Rosiere said Camp SoulGrow will open for its second year at Third House.

"This summer we also have our SoulGrow Bus, which we hand-painted inside and out, that will take the kids all over for safety and convenience."

In tears, Rosiere explains what providing the kids with such an empowering experience means. "As a child growing up with divorced parents, I found love for myself in the dance studio. Dancing gave me something to pour my heart and soul into. As I grew up, I found the world was trying to push the creativeness out of me, as I was being told what I needed to be and how I needed to be it. I was pushed into a corporate box I never fit in."

When her mother Diane Rosiere died at only 52 years old, after thinking she had so much time left with her, Rosiere was faced with a painful reality.

"I realized how precious our time here really is, and there’s no time for us to be anything other than who we really are. It was then I decided to pour everything I could into helping children to not let the world change them — but to help them be themselves," she said.

Rosiere said she understands what it's like to feel as though one is an outsider. "I know what it’s like to be lonely. I am a survivor because of my passions and I want to help the kids find theirs. I want the kids to know that no matter what goes on in their households or their lives, they have Camp SoulGrow and we are here for them always, with open arms, to tell them they are valuable, loved, and should be just who they are."

And if they don’t know who that is yet, it’s okay, she said. "We are here to help them find out who that is."

A testament to her love for the kids, Rosiere was back at work Monday, just days after her brother Matthew Rosiere died in a tragic car accident on March 29 at just 32 years old. "Being back in Montauk and working so hard to get things ready for summer, I would really like to thank from the bottom of my heart, the people in the community who have made me feel like family to them."