Every summer for nearly 30 years, Canyon Hills Church, a multi-site church in Bakersfield, California, has partnered with Royal Family Kids Camp to run a weeklong camp for children in foster care. In that time, Canyon Hills members have volunteered more than 300,000 hours to serve over 1,000 children.
The camp offers children the chance to participate in fun activities like horseback riding, archery, swimming, arts and crafts, and time around the campfire.
“These children have been through trauma and will initially try to push people away,” says Jenifer Watts, executive pastor of ministries at Canyon Hills. “They’ll get into fights those first couple of days until they realize that we will be there for them. Then they soften.”
She has found that what foster kids crave the most is to be shown that they are worthy of love.
“We’re there to be present with them and to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” says Watts. “Just showing up and keeping your word is huge for these kids.”
Most children who grow up in foster care bounce around from home to home, with few or no possessions, not even a suitcase or pictures of themselves. Therefore, at Royal Family Camp, they create souvenirs with photos and send them home in a suitcase. In addition, since kids in foster care may have been abused or neglected, they’ve never had a birthday party. So, camp volunteers make sure to give each child gifts and a party.
“For many of them, that’s the first time anyone has recognized or celebrated them in a special way,” says Watts.
At the end of the week, campers are asked to write about why they like camp. One child shared, “It’s one of the places I can be myself. I love my camp family. Nobody can ever take that away from me.”
Watts has often had people ask her if she thinks that one week at camp can really make a difference in the life of a child. “It really can. I’ve seen it.”