A camp over break

Camp Fire, Centro Latino sponsor multicultural effort

By SUAN PINEDA
Republished from the Columbia Missourian

Evan Wilder / Adelante Juan, Hector and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Cristina Dominguez translate a play into Spanish at the Centro Latino Day Camp. The play was performed bilingually for the parents who came to the final dinner of camp.

For the 23 children participating in the Spring Break Day Camp at Camp Takimina, getting up at 7:30 a.m. during spring break was well worth the effort.

The 50-acre Columbia park has been the site of a fun-filled experience where children of different cultures interact with nature, play games, hike and learn camping essentials.

Camp Fire USA Missouri Trails Council, in partnership with Centro Latino of Columbia, organized the first spring break day camp that includes Latino children. Seven volunteers from Camp Fire USA and AmeriCorps VISTA, a nationwide volunteer service that works with community-based nonprofit agencies, are leading the weeklong event.

Hector Sadoval, 8, who arrived in Columbia a month ago from Mexico, said he has made five new friends at the camp. Although Hector does not speak English, he is enjoying this experience.

"I like painting the stones," Hector said in Spanish. He and others painted stones and added glitter to the rocks as gifts.

Other youngsters are also enjoying the outdoors and making new friends.

There are "more different people from different cultures and everybody seems to get along," said 9-year-old Shannon Holmes.

The camp meets from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ends Friday.

Kimberly Massey, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, said they have always wanted to partner with Centro Latino. The agencies formed a partnership to organize the camp — Centro Latino transported children in its van and Camp Fire USA offered scholarships for Latino children to participate in the day camp at a reduced rate.

"The special part of this is bringing together people from different cultures and backgrounds in an environment where everybody is the same," Massey said.

Eric Remelius, a VISTA volunteer at Camp Fire USA, said the camp is also an alternative to day care.

It's also an opportunity for youngsters to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

"To get (them) to realize that not everything is electronic," said Marta Holmes, a club leader at Camp Fire USA. "The best things come from the earth."