Lake Darling Youth Center (LDYC) in Brighton, Iowa was established as a non-profit youth camp in 1950. Official camping began in 1953. Sitting opposite Lake Darling State Park, this ‘modern rustic’ seven acre facility offers staff and camper cabins, infirmary, bathhouse, canteen, dining lodge with industrial kitchen, campfire area, sporting fields, boating and more. We provide camping opportunities to churches, families and disabled persons organizations, among others.
Operating as a non-profit, we have a long list of facility and repair projects that require more funds than we can currently support. This list includes critical electric service updates, cabin refurbishment (siding/roof/electric), kitchen equipment (ovens/refrigeration/storage) bathhouse structure and fixture repair/replacement and insulation of the main lodge buildings.
This year, we were awarded funds from a local organization to complete a new cooks/staff cabin! This award certainly helps us cross off a big item on our list of needs. Other fundraising projects are ongoing, and it is our hope that this campaign will help us reach a larger audience, including alumni from groups that have camped here in the past.
We would like to continue to provide the best possible environment to the groups that rent our facility for many more generations. Our longer term goal is to have every building fully winterized. Once that is completed, we will be able to expand our rental opportunities to year-round, and fund the necessary staff for that as well. Any help that you can provide will help that dream come true! Please help us continue to serve our community!