Local summer camp a dream for abused kids
May 4, 2016
Charlea Estes
For too many children, life is a struggle. Many end up in foster care because of physical abuse or neglect by their providers. One local group with international ties is making a difference for some of those kids, a week of camp at a time.
Royal Family KIDS Camp is a specialized one-week camp each summer for kids from the area who need a little extra love in their lives. Set up as a non-denominational ministry outreach, there are 209 camps across the world in five different countries. Locally, kids aged seven through 11 from Barry, Lawrence and Stone counties attend the camp at a secured area in Cassville.
Children are referred to the Royal Family KIDS Camp from the Department of Family Services primarily, although there are a few spots for private clientele if they are approved.
Max Akers, co-director for the Cassville camp, said, “These are kids that may not do well in a regular camp because of the stories they have to share. They’ve been through so much, they need to be around other kids who won’t have a look of shock on their faces when they talk about their lives.”
He continued, “This creates an even playing field for these kids. All of the other kids have had similar experiences, and when they share their stories, there isn’t any shock.”
In some regards, Royal Family is just like many other ministry-centered church camps. There is a Bible Club, as well as traditional camp activities like swimming, fishing, hiking, sports and arts and crafts. In other ways, there are aspects of the camp that are geared toward kids who need a little extra TLC.
Outdoor activities are taken care of by a coach. Akers said they run a tight schedule with plenty of activities to keep kids busy the week that they are there with plenty of options to appeal to all kids’ interests.
Akers said, “With our arts and crafts, it’s not about what they finish or even if they finish but getting that one-on-one time with an adult who cares about them.”
Additionally, one night during the week, the volunteers hold a birthday party for all of the kids. Akers said, “One evening is everyone’s birthday party. Some of these kids may have not ever had a birthday party before, and we want them to experience that. It’s a fun week for them to not have to think about anything else.”
It’s a sobering thought to consider a child never having a birthday party and provides some perspective as to why it’s so important for so many of them. There is a sense of belonging and family that the kids receive that never goes away. While most of the children come from the tri-county area, Akers said that if kids move or get adopted, they are still always welcome. He said, “Once they are a Royal Family kid, they are always a Royal Family kid. They can always come back.”
The camp is provided free of charge to the children who attend thanks to efforts by the volunteers. On average, 28-30 kids attend the camp each summer. At the end of it all, camp would cost around $500 per child if there were no volunteers. Now, as it stands, the organization pays a little over $200 for each of them to attend because so much of the camp is run by volunteer efforts. Akers said, “We do have licensed counselors if they need it, but that isn’t the focus.”
The camp runs with a ratio of almost one adult per child to ensure they have the support that they need. Each of them receives in-house training to make sure they have the skills they need to deal with children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Akers stated, “They also have training to identify the signs of physical abuse and also lead a child to the Lord if they feel they want to do that.
“We want the volunteers to be able to empathize with the kids, and not react in shock at any of the things they hear.”
While the camp is ministry-based, children do not have to be of any religion or be religious at all to attend. All who are referred are welcomed.
“If someone wants to be a volunteer with us, we have a process that they can go through. We are always looking for people who want to help,” said Akers.
Other considerations are also made, such as the camp being held in the secured location where no others are attending during the week. Akers said, “We have to make sure the kids are protected and someone doesn’t find out where they are if they are non-custodials.”
He stated, “We just want kids to experience a week of the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. That’s the goal.
To raise funds for the camp, Royal Family KIDS Camp is holding a garage sale at the Family Life Center in Cassville this Friday through Saturday. The dates are Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a fundraising lunch on Sunday.
Donations for the garage sale can be taken to the Family Life Center up until Thursday evening.
The Royal Family KIDS Camp will be held May 31 through June 4. If you are interested in donating for area children to attend, you may contact Max Akers at (417) 224-7509 or make a donation directly to the First Baptist Church of Cassville in care of the Royal Family Kids Camp.
Charlea Estes
For too many children, life is a struggle. Many end up in foster care because of physical abuse or neglect by their providers. One local group with international ties is making a difference for some of those kids, a week of camp at a time.
Royal Family KIDS Camp is a specialized one-week camp each summer for kids from the area who need a little extra love in their lives. Set up as a non-denominational ministry outreach, there are 209 camps across the world in five different countries. Locally, kids aged seven through 11 from Barry, Lawrence and Stone counties attend the camp at a secured area in Cassville.
Children are referred to the Royal Family KIDS Camp from the Department of Family Services primarily, although there are a few spots for private clientele if they are approved.
Max Akers, co-director for the Cassville camp, said, “These are kids that may not do well in a regular camp because of the stories they have to share. They’ve been through so much, they need to be around other kids who won’t have a look of shock on their faces when they talk about their lives.”
He continued, “This creates an even playing field for these kids. All of the other kids have had similar experiences, and when they share their stories, there isn’t any shock.”
In some regards, Royal Family is just like many other ministry-centered church camps. There is a Bible Club, as well as traditional camp activities like swimming, fishing, hiking, sports and arts and crafts. In other ways, there are aspects of the camp that are geared toward kids who need a little extra TLC.
Outdoor activities are taken care of by a coach. Akers said they run a tight schedule with plenty of activities to keep kids busy the week that they are there with plenty of options to appeal to all kids’ interests.
Akers said, “With our arts and crafts, it’s not about what they finish or even if they finish but getting that one-on-one time with an adult who cares about them.”
Additionally, one night during the week, the volunteers hold a birthday party for all of the kids. Akers said, “One evening is everyone’s birthday party. Some of these kids may have not ever had a birthday party before, and we want them to experience that. It’s a fun week for them to not have to think about anything else.”
It’s a sobering thought to consider a child never having a birthday party and provides some perspective as to why it’s so important for so many of them. There is a sense of belonging and family that the kids receive that never goes away. While most of the children come from the tri-county area, Akers said that if kids move or get adopted, they are still always welcome. He said, “Once they are a Royal Family kid, they are always a Royal Family kid. They can always come back.”
The camp is provided free of charge to the children who attend thanks to efforts by the volunteers. On average, 28-30 kids attend the camp each summer. At the end of it all, camp would cost around $500 per child if there were no volunteers. Now, as it stands, the organization pays a little over $200 for each of them to attend because so much of the camp is run by volunteer efforts. Akers said, “We do have licensed counselors if they need it, but that isn’t the focus.”
The camp runs with a ratio of almost one adult per child to ensure they have the support that they need. Each of them receives in-house training to make sure they have the skills they need to deal with children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Akers stated, “They also have training to identify the signs of physical abuse and also lead a child to the Lord if they feel they want to do that.
“We want the volunteers to be able to empathize with the kids, and not react in shock at any of the things they hear.”
While the camp is ministry-based, children do not have to be of any religion or be religious at all to attend. All who are referred are welcomed.
“If someone wants to be a volunteer with us, we have a process that they can go through. We are always looking for people who want to help,” said Akers.
Other considerations are also made, such as the camp being held in the secured location where no others are attending during the week. Akers said, “We have to make sure the kids are protected and someone doesn’t find out where they are if they are non-custodials.”
He stated, “We just want kids to experience a week of the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. That’s the goal.
To raise funds for the camp, Royal Family KIDS Camp is holding a garage sale at the Family Life Center in Cassville this Friday through Saturday. The dates are Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be a fundraising lunch on Sunday.
Donations for the garage sale can be taken to the Family Life Center up until Thursday evening.
The Royal Family KIDS Camp will be held May 31 through June 4. If you are interested in donating for area children to attend, you may contact Max Akers at (417) 224-7509 or make a donation directly to the First Baptist Church of Cassville in care of the Royal Family Kids Camp.