4-H INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CAMP HIGHLIGHTS SUMMER FOR AG WORKER KIDS
Eight children from farm worker families in Madras went to camp this summer for the first time in their lives. Sponsored by Families Forward, a local nonprofit, the children, ranging in ages between 8 and 14, attended the 2008 4H International Summer Camp (Campamento de Verano Internacional 2008) in Salem.
The children were residents of Menta Park Apartments, owned and operated by Housing Works, the regional housing authority. Diane Romero, manager of Menta Park, and Lesly Veliz, a Housing Works Housing Specialist, volunteered to accompany the kids as chaperones.
"This was a great experience and it really opened my eyes to how much it meant to these children to be able to attend camp,” says Romero. “They are already asking about next year. It was definitely the highlight of their summer.”
The international camp program offered a wide variety of recreation for the campers and fellowship with other kids of their age. Motivational speakers, cultural presentations and educational opportunities including workshops on future plans and college, career planning, and the legal system along with mock trials with the Lane County District Attorney acting as judge, rounded out the 4-day camp.
"Camp was an unforgettable experience. All the kids not only learned about different cultures, but became more aware of their surroundings,” said Lesly Veliz. “They learned to look at everyday things in different ways. It was a lot of fun and I found myself being a kid again."
Families Forward’s Opportunities for Kids Scholarship Fund paid for the campers to attend. It also provided each child with a sleeping bag and other camping necessities such as sun block, insect spray, and flashlights. Bank of the Cascades donated water bottles for each child.
The Opportunities for Kids Scholarship Fund has received support from the Hayden Giving Fund, Washington Mutual Savings and Loan, and Bank of the Cascades.
The scholarship fund was created to provide support for lower income children in Housing Works’ programs and affordable housing communities to participate in social, educational and enrichment activities and programs offered through community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, the parks and recreation districts, the High Desert Museum, etc.
The Opportunities for Kids Scholarship Fund is a program of Families Forward, a 501 (c) (3) corporation created by Housing Works. The nonprofit’s function is to provide the resources and collaborative partnerships needed to support the services, programs and activities aimed at increasing the numbers of individuals and families achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency. The nonprofit is aimed at affording Housing Works’ program participants and residents, along with their children, access to social, cultural, and educational enrichment opportunities; to encourage family unity and sharing; and to provide opportunities for homeownership.
