Local campers celebrate YWCA anniversary

By Matt Schickling
Wire Staff Writer

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MATT SCHICKLING / WIRE PHOTO Campers from six YWCA day camps were brought together to celebrate the culmination of their summer at Beat Street, a Huntingdon Valley dance and party venue, on July 31.[/caption]

A 60th anniversary of anything warrants some serious dancing, not that the kids at the Bucks County YWCA camps needed much of a reason.

On July 31, campers from six different YWCA day camps were brought together to celebrate the culmination of their summer at Beat Street, a Huntingdon Valley dance and party venue. The event hosted about 225 kids ages 6 to 12 and included live DJs, pizza, cake and a dance-off between the six camps.

“We usually have a picnic,” Kristin Chapin, director of YWCA youth services, said. “But this year was special.”

The camps are geared toward low-income families, and fees are based on family income to make them equally affordable for everyone. Some families may pay as low as $14 per week over six weeks. They include all the elements of the typical summer camps — field trips, swimming, outdoor activities — but there’s an educational component to their approach.

“Our goal is that the kids don’t lose what they learned during the school year. We want to keep them safe, keep them learning by providing education and fun,” Karen Forbes, YWCA director, said. “You can’t look at our day camps without feeling proud to be a part of it.”

Older children and teens also participate in the camps as counselors in training. This allows them to gain leadership skills in a way that keeps them motivated and focused on education during the summer. Counselors are a mix of teachers, guidance counselors and high-level college students.

“I’ve never seen an organization be able to attract this caliber of camp staff,” Forbes said. “They learn a lot about themselves by interacting with kids from so many different backgrounds.”

Forbes has been working in the nonprofit sector since 1984, spending the last two with the YWCA. She calls it “the most awesome organization” she’s worked for because of the mission: “eliminating racism [and] empowering women.”

Though both boys and girls attend the day camps, most of the YWCA initiatives focus on their mission. On Oct. 19, they’re hosting their inaugural Race Against Racism 5k at the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield. It will also feature a 1k walk and run, so everyone can participate.

The YWCA is also heavily involved in raising community awareness. They provide several after-school programs on bullying and diversity as well as parenting, educational, employment and self-sufficiency services. And, their family centers house food pantries.

Another initiative they’re focusing on is the healthy-living program, meant to empower women, girls and families by providing them with information on nutrition, exercise and body health. After Labor Day, Forbes is looking to start a walking club “to bring women of all cultural backgrounds and body types together.”

So even after 60 years, the YWCA keeps a local focus.

“What makes us unique is that we deliver our services to the immediate community,” Forbes said. “We’re out there, we’re not within ourselves.”

For more information, visit www.ywcabucks.org.