By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Wanted: A few good camp counselors for HomeFront’s summer camp program.
That’s what Connie Mercer, the executive director of the nonprofit group, is seeking. HomeFront, whose headquarters is on Princeton Avenue, helps the homeless and the working poor.
HomeFront’s summer camp, which begins June 18 and ends Aug. 24, serves children in Mercer County from ages 5 to 13. Many of those children come from families who are HomeFront clients, and life has not been easy for them because of precarious family and housing situations.
That’s why the summer camp means so much to the children, she said. Their home lives may be in chaos, but the camp and the counselors provides them with a chance to take part in traditional summer camp activities, such as sports and arts and crafts.
”There is a great deal of uncertainty in their young lives. They have not often had the exposure to swimming in the ocean, or arts and crafts,” Ms. Mercer said. But that’s exactly what the camp which is based at the Princeton YMCA/YWCA can offer to them.
The campers’ experiences provide a challenge to the camp counselors, who must be at least 18 years old and have completed one year of college, she said.
During a typical day at camp, the counselors ride the camp’s bus every morning to pick up the children. Once they arrive at camp, the counselors help the children with breakfast. They also act as teacher’s aides and help the children stay current with their math and reading skills, Ms. Mercer said. In the afternoon, the campers can play sports, swim or make special projects.
”It’s the hardest, most wonderful job you’ll ever love,” Ms. Mercer said of the counselors.
Katie Calder and Katryn Whitman are the first to admit that being camp counselors for HomeFront’s summer camp last summer was not exactly a piece of cake.
But Ms. Calder and Ms. Whitman are also quick to acknowledge that working as counselors was a life-changing event for them, and they agreed with Ms. Mercer that it was “the hardest job you’ll ever love.”
The two young women learned of HomeFront’s camp through family members.
Ms. Calder’s younger sister had been helping out at HomeFront, and she was asked if she would like to work as a camp counselor. Her sister was too young the minimum age is 18 years old so Ms. Calder was asked if she wanted a position as a counselor. She applied and was accepted.
Ms. Whitman said she learned about becoming a HomeFront camp counselor through AmeriCorps and its summer VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program. She, too, applied and was accepted through the AmeriCorps/VISTA program.
There were days last summer when Ms. Calder would go home exhausted and tired after putting in a full day at the camp. Yet, she would look forward to going back to summer camp the next morning.
”You feel like you are making an impact on them. You are helping them to make their day better,” said Ms. Calder, who is eyeing a career in education. The New York University sophomore said she wants to teach in an urban environment.
Ms. Whitman, who is completing a master’s degree in social work at Rutgers University, said she found the experience to be “genuinely gratifying and energizing.” She said she found it amazing that many of the children exhibited such resiliency and hope, despite the stresses and challenges they were facing outside of camp.
”I guess what I saw in most of the children was a longing for attention and positive affirmation. The campers wanted validation and to know that they are viewed as special,” she said, adding that it took time to build trusting relationships with some of the campers.
”It also doesn’t hurt to know a few hand-clapping games or Justin Bieber song titles to use as a starting off point to build rapport with the kids,” Ms. Whitman said. “I was able to develop some really meaningful relationships with some of the HomeFront kids, which was also life-changing.”
Ms. Calder and Ms. Whitman and the other camp counselors accompanied the children on visits to the beach, which was a new experience for many of the campers. The campers also learned how to swim, and played outdoor games, too. The children also worked on their reading skills.
”I would recommend this experience to anyone. Hands down, it was my favorite summer ever. I think doing something for another person is rewarding and you get paid for playing games all day,” Ms. Calder said with a laugh.
For more information on serving as a HomeFront camp counselor, contact HomeFront at 609-989-9417 or www.homefrontnj.org.
