Camp Faith (East Camden)

Being in the classroom with the children ignites some type of joy. At first I did not know what it would be like. I knew that most of the kids were returners from the summer or previous years before. I thought they may be so caught up in how things were run before that I would not get a fair chance to show them the real me. Being a new face is hard to do when they see so many of them. As months go on, I get a sense of calm when walking into the classroom and being greeted by the kids. They are so into our daily routine that when I forget something, (in unison), they quickly remind me. Whether it be about stars for their sticker charts or timeouts for their behavior, they still remind me. I have gotten so used to them and they to me that when we don’t see each other, with open arms, we greet with a big hug and say “I missed you”!  Even though we are here to support the children and love them and be constant in their life for this little time, they do the same for us adults without any realization.

-Whitney Proviano (Intern)

Camp Faith field trip to the Insectarium in Philadelphia – a local museum that displays all types of bugs!

Students from Clearview High School led by teacher Jennifer Satterfield hosted a Christmas party for Rosedale AfterSchool Program (Camp Faith) for the second year in a row.  The students brought cookies and milk, and Christmas stockings to the children.  One student dressed up as Santa and passed out the stockings, talking to each child individually and encouraging them. It was a great afternoon and the children felt very loved by the thoughtfulness and generosity of the students of Clearview High School.

Fresh air, beautifuuntains, seeing the stars at night - we were definitely not in Camden anymore!  For Spring Break 2010 the fourth grade class of Rosedale AfterSchool Program at UrbanPromise Ministries enjoyed five days in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  One child asked while driving through the Smoky Mountains National Park - "Where are all the police?" This was only one of the many differences between the most dangerous city in America - Camden and the countryside of East Tennessee that the kids noticed.

The kids enjoyed hiking, horsebike riding, visiting a children's science museum, go kart riding, ice skating, and many more activities.  Some of these activities "Most of all, the kids enjoyed quality time with our group - the 12 hour van ride and hanging out at the cabin.  "I'm glad we could all be together," Irving, age 10, remarked when asked about his favorite part of the trip. There were many opportunities for conversations about life and faith that I know none of the kids will ever forget.

Our hearts are very grateful for the UrbanPromise sponsors who made this trip possible.  It was nice to have a trip where we didn't have to worry about money, but could enjoy ourselves and allow the kids to have a "family" vacation that they may have never experienced before. Thanks for giving our Camden kids the trip of a lifetime!

Thanks to a generous donation from Campbell's Soup, this week Camp Faith was able to enjoy an evening of family fun at a Camden Riversharks baseball game.  Seven families from East Camden, plus the staff of Camp Faith, were able to attend.