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By Samantha Saladino
I have experienced non-profit work before, and of course when I was a kid I participated in a day camp or two, but I’ve never seen or been to a day camp quite like the Kids Korps Volunteer Camp. Kids Korps USA runs a camp that teaches children about community needs and service, and what it takes to be a volunteer. I am from the East Coast and am here for the summer, as an intern with Kids Korps through my university. I have done my fair share of volunteering since I was a little girl including Girl Scouts and working for my youth group, however, this is the first time I have seen the inner workings of a non-profit and what it takes to run such a unique and successful day camp.  Kids Korps USA was founded 14 years ago, and the camp was created 5 years ago. Since its founding, Kids Korps has grown into a program throughout San Diego with eager children and teens wanting to volunteer and help out in a variety of ways during their summer break.
Each day campers arrive and participate in a morning activity that usually has to do with the service project planned later in the day. The children make blankets that are given to foster care children in the San Diego and Orange County areas. Later that day the children go to the Head Start preschool to teach and play with the preschool children. It was interesting to see how the campers in the camp react and help the children in preschool. Many of these campers are only a year or so older then the preschoolers and it was great to watch them interact with each other, as the children in the camp become role models to these preschoolers. The Kids Korps campers read, painted, and played with these preschoolers.  They then become leaders when it’s time to clean up or for lunch.

The next day, Kids Korps volunteer campers made seed balls for the San Diego Wildlife Research Institute, rolling a damp pre-mix of clay and native plant seed into small balls that will be placed in wildfire burn areas of the Cleveland National Forest.  These seed balls will help re-vegetate the coastal sage plants in these severely burned parts of San Diego County. Later that day, Kids Korps campers headed to Crest Canyon where they helped pick invasive and non-native ice plant, so native plants can re-grow. A camper and I spoke that day and I asked why he liked pulling out the ice plant. He answered, “Because, we are helping, where my dad takes us to go on walks.” From these projects, participating children not only experience what it is to volunteer, but they are getting to see it through, and learn the reasons why volunteering is important.  Kids Korps volunteer campers have also made bags of pet food to give to Meals-On-Wheels recipients to help feed their hungry pets. Another one of the campers’ favorite projects of the week would be painting the banners for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk coming up in November. Participating children paint inspirational signs that will be hung throughout the course to keep the walkers motivated for the cause. Volunteer campers are also able to interact with dogs with Paws’itive Teams who train dogs to help people that have disabilities. It was really rewarding to me to see these young children interact with the dogs as they learn how important it is for the disabled to have these canine companions in their lives.
I am pleased to say that the Kids Korps volunteer campers were not the only ones who learned through the camp; the counselors did too. Most campers in the first week’s session came from low-income families. I think it really touched the counselors to see and experience how many people live in the same area as they do. I interviewed one counselor and asked her, “Why are you here? What made you volunteer as a counselor, when you can go somewhere else and get paid for it?” She answered, “I love to see the smiles on their faces; I love to see what they are going to next. It’s cool to see them enjoy being a volunteer!”
The Kids Korps USA volunteer camp has really impressed me and has taught me so much about the non-profit world. It has also been great to see children who enjoy helping their environment, making their surroundings a better place by starting to understand the world around them.
Kids Korps will offer one more Volunteer Camps this summer. The week of July 6 – 10 still has a few spaces available for campers, ages 6 – 12. If you are interested in signing your child up for a fun filled week of camp, please call the Kids Korps office at 858-259-3602 or e-mail Robin@kidskorps.org. More information may be found on the Kids Korps website at www.kidskorps.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
WHAT: Serving the Homeless
WHEN: Sun. July 5 (1:30 - 4pm)
WHERE: San Diego
WHAT: La Casa Center for Autism
WHEN: Sat. July 11 (5 – 10pm)
WHERE: San Diego
WHAT: Wags for Wishes
WHEN: Sat July 10 - 12
WHERE: Otay Ranch, San Diego