Day Camp staff works to keep campers safe
By Lynsi Musselman
ResourceCare’s 20th annual Summer Day Camp began Monday, July 6, averaging 85 campers, and 55 workers and volunteers each day of the three-week camp.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions and health concerns, organizers and workers have been tasked with creating a checkpoint at drop-off each morning.
ResourceCare camp nurse Judy Patterson said she is taking each camper’s temperature before they come in the youth center each morning, and only campers and staff are allowed inside the building.
“The process has been smooth so far,” Patterson said. “We are also cleaning the youth center from top to bottom to sanitize each day.”
Patterson said that Albany ISD personnel have been helpful with providing buses and rotating groups and offering activities at the school.
Campers have been split into eight color groups by age, as well as by boys and girls.
ResourceCare program assistant Ragan Riley said the groups rotate between the youth center, city pool, Boy Scout hut, elementary school, Friendship Baptist church gym, City Park, and the Bank Park.
“Each group does their own thing,” Riley said. “Leaders have had ‘dress the color of your group’ day and crazy sock day.”
Campers are also playing organized games, learning new crafts, and getting to experience a mini Vacation Bible School led by pastor Sonny McCauley.
Each day the campers learn about a new country, said Riley. So far, the kids have “visited” Canada, Ireland, and Spain.
Of course, the favorite activity is swimming at the city pool.
With daily temperatures reaching 108 degrees, the heat index has been a concern for camp organizers.
The younger groups swim earlier in the day, but alternate activities have been provided for the older groups, or parents have been able to pick up campers at 12:15 p.m., before pool time.
Camp will continue every weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with the last day of camp scheduled on Friday, July 24.
The Summer Food Program for Children sponsored by the Texas Department of Human Services will continue to be available through the end of this year’s camp.
Donations for the camp are still being accepted.
Anyone would like to contribute to the camp can send tax deductible donations to Resource Care Center, PO Box 2435, Albany, TX 76430. Donors should designate that the funding be used for “Day Camp.”
For more information contact the Resource Center at 325-762-2447.
CareFest 2020
One of the events that helps raise funds for Day Camp each year is Care Fest, a music festival organized by the ResourceCare staff.
Details for the event have not been released yet due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the tentative date for the festival is Aug. 29.
