Thanks To Camp Give, Local Teen Is Ready For A Future Of Philanthropy
February 5, 2021 | Written by Lindsey Barta
Dominic Infantino with his parents at the Magnified Giving Donor Dinner in 2019.
When long-time donors Joe & Gladys Stolz gifted their grandson Dominic a registration to Camp Give in 2017, they set off a chain reaction that changed his life and more deeply instilled the importance of service for their whole family.
After attending Camp Give three times as a camper and serving one year as a Jr. Counselor, Dominic says “I learned that I like giving to people and that I'm addicted to that feeling after you give to someone or do something good - I love that feeling.” This summer, when Camp Give went virtual, Dominic saw the possibilities of involving even more people in this transformative camp, so he invited his cousin, who resides in Florida, to participate!
Now, as a sophomore at St. Xavier High School, Dominic is in his third year participating in the Magnified Giving Student Philanthropy program. After many service-learning experiences and conversations about social causes and giving, Dominic is most passionate about fighting against childhood food insecurity. He says, “Childhood Food Solutions came to the camp and we learned a lot about them. That's just something that I've always remembered, and it's a big deal because during summer, a lot of kids aren't getting those meals that they get from school, and that Childhood Food Solutions really helps those kids. And I want to help those kids too.”
Students who participate in Camp Give learn about the challenges faced by children and adults right in their own communities. They are often shocked to learn that 33% of families in Cincinnati are food insecure. Thankfully, through Camp Give, students learn how they can take action to help hungry kids and fight food insecurity. One of Dominic’s favorite Camp Give activities was serving children by helping pack bags of food to be distributed by Childhood Food Solutions. He loved the energy of fellow campers coming together to fight an important issue and enjoyed the flurry of activity while they packed hundreds of sacks of food!
Dominic and his friend Jack packing bags of food for Childhood Food Solutions at Camp Give in 2018.
Dominic’s mother, Ana, is glad that Dominic had the opportunity to understand why service is so valuable and important. She says, “I think with Camp Give the best thing is that they put the kids right into the process - not just filling bags for lunches, but you talk with the leaders of the organizations to know what their mission is, what they're trying to accomplish, and who they're trying to help, so that the kids understand and aren't just doing it because they're told to. I think that's one of the most unique things about Camp Give. They're learning the "whys" and the missions and how they impact others in small ways.”
Ana’s father and Dominic’s grandfather, Joe Stolz, is a lifelong friend of Magnified Giving founder Roger Grein. Joe and his wife, Gladys, have been wonderful friends and loyal supporters of Magnified Giving since we began educating young philanthropists in 2008. After learning about Camp Give, Joe and Gladys gave Dominic a registration to Camp Give for Christmas. Dominic confesses that he was uncertain about the gift at the time, fearing that he wouldn’t have fun at the camp because he wouldn’t know anyone. Thankfully, that didn’t last long. He says, “Probably within the first hour, I felt like that room, that learning center, was like a home because you're meeting all these new people and you're learning immediately together.”
For the Stolzes and Infantinos, giving is a family affair. Ana describes her thankfulness that Dominic is so excited about what he’s learning about philanthropy through Camp Give and Magnified Giving: “I love that, because [a love of giving] is just something that was instilled to us as kids and I'm glad that hopefully we instill that into our four children.
When asked if he had anything else to share, Dominic summed up the driving force behind our programs: “I would add that I think the most important part is that you're teaching young people because it's better to learn when you're in the 6th grade to high school range than learn when you're an adult. And I just think it's really important to have that seed planted in the ground for you to start giving early.”
As only a sophomore, Dominic has participated in more philanthropy education and deep conversations about giving than many adults. We know that this seed planted in Dominic will lead to a lifetime of kindness, giving, and service, and we can’t wait to watch him grow.