The following column was submitted by Elizabeth Moore.
Anyone who knows me knows that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I have been listening to Christmas music for over a month already, and am, in fact, listening to it right now.
I love Christmas for many reasons: the world rejoices in the celebration of the birth of Jesus, everyone has a smile on their face, and every once in awhile if you are really paying attention, you can actually see the “Christmas spirit” in action. People want to be a part of something good. We like to know that we are partaking in a positive change in the life of someone else and Christmas is the perfect time to let our love for others shine. My favorite thing is doing something for someone, and watching them enjoy what they have received, not even knowing that I had anything to do with it!
That feeling is similar to the one I had at Royal Family Kids Camp this past August. I enjoyed watching the kids running around the open campgrounds, jumping into the pool, splashing each other and counselors, and catching fish in the pond. My favorite moment of all is when you can see the bond that has forged between a camper and their counselor, that they have a trust for an adult who they know loves them, and maybe for one minute can put the bad thing that happened to them in the back of their mind and just enjoy being a kid. You see, RFKC isn’t a camp for just any kid. Our goal is to create positive memories in the life of a child who has been a victim of abuse or neglect. All of our campers come from recommendations of teachers, pastors, foster parents, social workers, or any other adult in their life who wants to help confront abuse and change the life of a child from the Marion area.
This week long camp setting is life changing for many reasons. Not only are we making a change in the life of a child who desperately needs a positive moment, but we are also experiencing changes in our lives as counselors and staff. I realize how selfish I am, I grew up in a loving home with two parents who taught me right from wrong, provided a roof over my head and three meals every day. My parents took me to church and also used Christian morals and values to raise me by. Not all of the campers that come to us can say they have had a full one meal a day or a safe place to lay their head every night. They have endured things that most of us could not even stand to hear someone talk about, let alone experience on our own.
As a counselor my first year, I would find myself complaining about the possibility of having to hike through the woods to the campfire we had set up for us, soon after having the realization that something as simple as making a s’more was a rarity for some of these campers. Or that going into the woods could be frightening, not because they were “dark and scary” and most of us would naturally have been scared of when we were kids but because something very bad has happened to them in the cover of darkness outside.
Even if you do not have the opportunity to attend camp as a counselor or staff member, you do have the opportunity to make a change in the life of a camper. This Christmas, please consider setting aside a donation to RFKC as a gift for someone you know or on behalf of your family. Camp is approximately $600 per child, though the camper is able to attend at no charge.
Some people ask if a week can really make a difference, I respond that it completely changed my life and it wasn’t even provided for me! I have thought about camp at least once a day every day since my first year. We are already planning Camp 2013 and your donation will go a long way in making a change in the life of a kid. Contact me about how you can make a difference. You will have a direct impact on the future of our community.
Elizabeth Moore
Fundraising Chairperson
740/802-3401, [email protected]
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