As wildfires continue to range across the state and folks continue to be evacuated from their homes, everything can be overwhelming. That’s especially true for kids facing the loss of a home and the uncertainty of what comes next. At one evacuation site, counselors are trying to help kids deal with trauma and stress.
Project:Camp launched last week and is located at Glorieta Adventure Camps, which is also housing over 700 evacuees.
Founder and Executive Director Mikey Latner said the project is inherently therapeutic, with goals of creating a structured day to return kids back to a sense of safety and normalcy.
"Kids are facing this experience just as much as their parents are. And what we are asking parents to do, both to be a homeschool teacher, and to be a parent, and to navigate emergency services and to go back to work, we’re asking them to do too many things" said Latner.
Latner said Project:Camp gives kids the space to be kids, and that allows them to process what’s going on all around them while participating in relay races, gratitude circles, and doing some chalk art.
Parents can fill out a form online or in person when dropping their children off. Latner said as of Tuesday, May 10, they have 40 kids and only expect that number to go up.
The camp has plenty of equipment but is searching for volunteers like camp counselors, teachers, and social workers to help out.
Project:Camp will run through this Friday, May 13.
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