FAQ 2024 Summer family Retreat

General

Q. What is the address of the venue?

A. 210 Woods Rd, Lakewood, PA 18439 🗺

Q. How early can we arrive on Monday, August 12th?

A. The camp will begin with registration on Monday, August 12 at 4:30pm and will conclude on Sunday, August 18 at 10am. Attendees who arrive early will not be given access to their rooms prior to onsite registration.

Q. Will parking be available?

A. Attendees will be able to use camp parking at no charge.

Q. When does the weekend-only program begin and end?

A. The weekend program begins with onsite registration on Friday, August 16 at 8am EST and ends with the conclusion of the retreat on Sunday, August 18 at 10am EST.

Q. Is it possible to purchase day passes or attend for just a few days during the week?

A. We are prioritizing week/weekend registration slots which can be obtained though the registration page. When those registration slots have been taken, we will be able to evaluate if we can accept day pass registrants. Please email your requests to almaqasid@almaqasid.org.

Q. What is included in the registration fees?

A. The registration fees will include course instruction, 3 meals/day, standard accommodations, scheduled activities (swimming, sports, wall climbing/ropes course, lake activities, etc) youth/childcare programs, and course handouts for classes (if applicable).

Q. What kind of activities will there be for children and youth?

A. We will have a separate program for the youth. The details of the program are still being formulated, however, in the past we have separated the children/youth into the following age groups (7-9, 10-12, 13-16) with the program comprising of Islamic instruction, activities such as art classes, calligraphy, educational games, sports options (basketball, soccer, volleyball), swimming, outdoor activities (fire-making, axe throwing, fishing), wall/ropes course, pottery/ceramics and arts & crafts classes. As a reference, see the links below for a sample age group from our past retreats.

Sample Summer Retreat 7-9 Boys Youth Schedule

Sample Summer Retreat 10-12 Girls Youth Schedule

Q. Are there any differences between the weekend-only program versus the week long program?

A. The weekend will include additional programs that are not held during the week days. This will include a nasheed concert, mawlid gathering, basketball tournament and possibly additional guests/instructor visits. For your reference, see the link below to view the adult/general schedule from one of our past retreats.    

Sample Summer Retreat Adult Schedule

Q. Will childcare services be available?

A. Yes. We will have childcare services for children between the ages of 2-6. Childcare will only be available during morning and afternoon class sessions – more details will be noted in the welcome packet. Please indicate in the appropriate section during online registration if you intend to utilize this service. For your reference, click on the link below to view last year’s childcare schedule for toddlers.

Sample Summer Retreat Childcare Toddler Schedule

Q. Will Wi-Fi be available?

 A. Yes

Q. Are there laundry facilities?

 A. Yes, there are several laundry facilities that attendees will be able to access free of charge in addition to coin operated machines that attendees may want to utilize if other machines are in use.  Attendees must bring their own laundry products for washing and drying.

Q. What clothes or other items should I bring to the retreat?

 A. We will send you a recommended packing list several months prior to the retreat. You will also receive a detailed retreat document that will contain comprehensive information to help you prepare and be acquainted with the retreat programs.

Accommodations

Q. What type of accommodations are available?

A. Standard accommodations will be shared housing in camp-style, duplex bunks segregated by sex.  A duplex bunk consists of 2 individual bunks that are separated by a common bathroom.  Each individual bunk will have up to 12 beds, ample storage space and electrical outlets. 

There is also the increasingly popular option of bringing your own tent to be setup in one of the designated camping areas (there will be a limited number of slots available). A number of families have opted for this type of accommodation in the past and considered it a great enhancement to their retreat experience, and afforded them greater privacy than the standard accommodations. For those who opt for the tent experience, you will be assigned a specific duplex for use of bathroom facilities, but you must ensure that your tent is setup properly and capable of withstanding inclement weather conditions. Please note that the registration fees will not be reduced if opting for the tent accommodations. For any additional questions in this regard, please email almaqasid@almaqasid.org.

Additionally, there are a number offsite lodging options available in the surrounding areas of the camp. Due to the relative remoteness of the locality, modern hotel accommodations are not readily available, however, the following offsite accommodations have been used by attendees in past retreats:

Q. Is it possible to secure onsite private accommodations?

A. Over the years, the annual retreat has grown to become a very popular summer destination event for many families and individuals, and we have often reached maximum capacity which in recent years has forced us to close registration within several weeks of the registration launch.  We believe the demand for this retreat will continue to be high for the foreseeable future and to that end, we are looking into ways to accommodate as many prospective attendees as possible.  In years past, we have made a limited amount of cabins available for semi-private housing but in order to accommodate more attendees, we have made the decision to no longer offer the semi-private housing option - all cabins will be shared, same-sex accommodations.

Q. I have a family with children. How will our accommodations be assigned?

A. The family will be separated and assigned to standard accommodations and the children with be assigned with the adult family member(s) of the same sex. Prepubescent children ages 10 years or younger will be permitted to stay with a parent/guardian in bunks with the opposite sex. For example, a 9 year old boy will be permitted to stay with his mother in standard accommodations. In situations where a pubescent youth is being accompanied by a parent/guardian of the opposite sex (e.g. 14 year old son with his mother/female guardian), we have historically placed these youths in cabins with adults with similar aged youth (e.g. a bunk consisting of fathers and their teen-aged sons, or mothers with their teen-aged daughters). This arrangement will apply in general where we will attempt to group attendees together who are in similar situations (e.g. mothers/fathers with young children). If you have any general concerns in this regard, please email almaqasid@almaqasid.org

Transportation

Q. Will transportation be provided?

A. We are offering round-trip bus transport to the retreat and back to Newark Liberty International Airport for a limited number of attendees on a first come first serve basis. We will designate a meeting location at Newark Liberty International. More specific details will be communicated to attendees who opt for bus transport.

Q. How do I sign up for bus transportation?

A. You can sign up for bus transportation during online registration. If you did not sign-up during online registration, please submit a request via almaqasid@almaqasid.org

Q. Do I have to pay for bus transportation?

A. Yes. The cost of transportation is not included as part of the registration fees. There will be a fee of $50/person which you will pay separately from your registration fees via an online invoice.

Q. I am flying in to attend the retreat and will require bus transportation. When should I schedule my arrival and departure fights?

A. The exact bus departure time is still tentative, but in general, please schedule your arrival at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to be no later than 2:30pm EST on Monday, August 12. For your departing flight on Sunday, August 18, do not schedule any earlier than 3:00pm EST. The estimated travel time between the airport and camp site is approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes.

Q. Will there be other arranged transportation from other locations besides Newark Liberty International Airport airport?

A. No. Unfortunately, we will only be arranging transportation from Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, August 12.

Q. Will transportation be provided for weekend-only attendees?

A. No. Unfortunately, we are only arranging bus transport pickup from Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, August 12.

Q. Do you accommodate one way rides on the bus, either to the retreat or back to the airport?

A. We will give preference to attendees who require round-trip transport, however, we may be able to accommodate one-way requests if there are seats still available within one week of the retreat start date.

Discounts/Financial Aid/Volunteering

Q. Do you offer any discounts?

A. We are offering the early bird adult discount (ages 12 and up) which is $50 off the regular registration fees for the first 50 registrants.  

Q. Will there be financial aid available for this event?

A.  Unfortunately, we are unable to offer full scholarships for this year’s retreat.  We can, however, offer deferred payment plans with final payment required at the time the retreat commences (8/12/2024). If you are interested in a deferred payment plan, please submit a request by sending an email to almaqasid@almaqasid.org 

Q. Do you take volunteers for the retreat?

A. We are currently fully-staffed, however, we may take volunteers based upon need, the prospective volunteer’s experience and expertise. To inquire for volunteer positions, please submit an email to almaqasid@almaqasid.org