Paintball, s’mores, and sing-alongs awaited the 35 kids who rolled up to Thousand Pines camp in the San Bernardino Mountains on the last weekend in June for Camp Connect.
The kids who came to camp this year range in age from 12 to 17, all had previously expressed a reluctance to being adopted or even being connected to an adult mentor. At Kidsave we believe that one connection with a caring adult can make a huge difference in the life of an older kid in foster care. Rather than aging out of the foster care system with nobody in their corner, a mentor or adoptive parent can be the one person who helps them thrive.
With partners E58, the LA County Department of Children and Family, and Foster All, we hold Camp Connect to show them a different way. The weekend provides an opportunity for these kids to experience sleepaway camp, many of them for the very first time. They sleep in cabin-style bunkhouses, make s’mores by the campfire, and participate in sing-alongs, arts and crafts, athletic activities like rock-climbing, soccer, and zip-lining. They enjoy the leadership of camp counselors who supervise them, but also keep the fun going all weekend long.
LeRhonda Lofton and Joy Attmore of E58 served as the weekend’s emcees, leading rousing cheers and funneling camp teams – named after the colors of the rainbow – into their games and sessions. Staff from Kidsave, DCF, and Foster All, along with volunteer Fun Ambassadors, made sure the kids were comfortable and could choose their activities or just kick back and relax.
While the setting is a relaxing and beautiful environment for the kids to relax and enjoy being kids, the point of the weekend is connection. Right there in its name, Camp Connect’s programming helps these youth open up to making positive connections with the adults at the campground, with each other, and with themselves. This effort inspires the youth to consider being paired with a long-term mentor, or even a potential adoptive parent.
On Saturday afternoon, a panel of former Kidsave kids and their mentors or adoptive parents shared their stories with the entire gathering of camp guests. The foster youth in attendance learned directly from their peers how having a connection with a caring adult made a positive impact on their lives. Trauma recovery specialist Harmony Dust told her own story, and led a session for the kids about finding self-confidence and maintaining healthy boundaries.
Sandra Gutierrez, manager of Kidsave’s Weekend Miracles Los Angeles program, said “An unintended outcome of camp is the community the kids feel with each other. At the end of camp, one of the girls said that it is easier to be yourself when you are with a bunch of other teens who also have social workers.”
The kids were encouraged to connect with each other and the adults at the camp, filling out questionnaires designed to keep conversation flowing. At the end of the weekend, more kids expressed an interest in considering adoption or finding a mentor, “which is a wonderful outcome,” one camp leader said.
Camp Connect would not be possible without the support of the Kidsave community, whose generosity helps fund transportation, lodging, and activities for these youth.
