Kids Camp has been a long-time tradition at Hope CommUnity Center for many years. It is a summer program organized by the Youth & Family department and is made possible by the support of camp counselors who are youth from Sin Fronteras, partner organizations, and volunteers. Every summer, children of all ages take part in Kids Camp where they can explore their creativity and imagination through a wide range of activities such as arts & crafts and games. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, this year’s Kids Camp provided a safe environment for children to grow and explore.
In honor of this year’s superhero theme, the first three weeks started with a bang! Kids Camp had a talent show for the 5 – 7-year old’s where the campers and counselors were able to showcase their dancing and singing skills to their parents. Each age level had its own performances from dancing to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Danza Kuduro, and even dancing to Zootopia’s songs along with Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat it’. The parents expressed how amazed they were at their kids especially seeing them perform on stage for everyone. Additionally, they shared how thankful they were for enrolling their kids in Kids Camp since it helped so many of their kids to be able to express themselves in ways they had not seen before.
In the last 3 weeks of camp, we hosted 8 – 10-year-olds. The counselors did everything they could to get them to enjoy camp. They ended up doing an amazing job with the kids which made them realize that they liked to be competitive! The 8 – 10-year-old’s liked competing against each other therefore instead of a talent show we had a field day for them. The coaches Daniella Tenorio, Gerardo Martinez, and Carlos Rico prepared a day full of competition. They were able to compete against each other in games such as bowling, relay races, and even filling up buckets of water, among others.
As Kids Camp came to a close, the Youth & Family team held a party for both camps with dancing, pizza, cupcakes, and gifts for the kids. There were tears, laughter, and fun since it was their last day of camp. All in all, Kids Camp 2021 was a success thanks to the counselors who were able to make this a memorable summer for the kids. We also want to thank ArtReach Orlando and other donors who donated money, materials, and their time to make this summer different than past years. Kids Camp has and will always be a place that changes everyone’s lives.
ABOUT HOPE COMMUNITY CENTER:
Hope CommUnity Center is a service learning community dedicated to the empowerment of Central Florida’s immigrant and working poor communities through Education, Advocacy, and Spiritual Growth.
