happenings between our weeks at camp

As life continues on for me I am humbled by the trials that our wee ones go thru. It was recently that we found out that three of our campers from this past year went thru something beyond our nightmares and worries. These three are of ten children in total to one mother. Only a week or so from returning from camp, with all children in their home, the house was lit on fire. Details aside, all kids were in the house and had to quickly be moved from their home to other foster homes willing to quickly take them in. They lost everything! They have since been reunited with their mother and are attempting to get back to life before school resumes.

Since hearing of this saddening story we have rallied the troops of our family and friends and taken in donations from “hand-me-downs” to cash. The hand-me-downs were gone through and cleaned and the cash was used towards the necessities that weren’t proved thru the hand me downs and that were needed as school began again. Even the most basic, like socks and underwear, was beyond what was readily available to them.

With the blessings bestowed on us we did what we could to provide what we could. This Tuesday a few from our team took a trip to the Section 8 housing where the ten children are currently living with their mother in Watts, California. When we arrived I was quickly humbled by the “home” in which they live. We are beyond blessed, beyond taken care of. The home that we arrived at was “cleaned-up” as those who had been there before me worded it. There were bars around all the windows, dogs around barking and howling. As we entered the mother who looked painstakingly tired greeted us. Most of the ten children were at day care/summer camp, but the two who were there were shyly grateful for what we had brought.

It is these times between the weeks of camp that we hope to be there for our kids. Some of these stories we hear and can do all we can to help. Others we will never hear about. (Either we have no connection to the service providers or the children will never tell the tale.) The point being that our hope is that the love we share with these kids while they are in our hands will give them the power they need during times like this.

To those of you who were a part of the giving, we are eternally grateful, as is the family.

“Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others. “ –Barbara Bush