Our very first Kids Camp was Saturday! Several weeks of planning and preparation went into this four hour day camp. What a wonderful experience, not only for the campers, but also for our volunteers who served as Camp Counselors.
The camp was full of educational, hands on activities and opportunities. It was fun and heart warming to watch these kids go from quiet, standing around, not sure what to do, children, to smiling, laughing, making new friends Campers! Their love of animals quickly brought them together into a sharing, pint-sized, community of caring individuals. It was all about the animals for four straight hours!
Also heart warming was the volunteers who came together to make this happen. Being our first Kids Camp, there were a lot of uncertainties... Will the kids be bored?, Will we have enough supplies?, Will the weather cooperate?, Which animals would enjoy the interaction?... But thanks to these awesome ladies, who put so much of themselves into it, and also some awesome rescue pets, the Camp was a HUGE success!
The weather was a little warm and muggy, but we'll take that over stormy or what we had just a couple weeks ago - heat index over 100! The kids were NOT bored! Just the right amount of supplies. And a good choice of dogs and cats - they loved all the attention.
Watching the kids interact with the Counselors was very rewarding in the least. The animals were the bridge that, almost immediately, closed all generation gaps. All ages, from 7 - 79, had a great time working together.
We sometimes call our Sanctuary, "Our little piece of heaven." It's a place where, for just a little while, all other cares are put on the back burner, the animals replenish our souls, giving us so much love and appreciation, add fresh air, trees, wild birds singing and new friends... Rescue gives us a purpose - always good to have a purpose in this life. And the volunteers quickly become a community of good friends.
If this sounds like a wonderful place, that's because it is. Animals come here to heal from neglect, abuse and illness. Sometimes they simply have no place to call home. Little mommas come to us, heavy with pregnancy, or young pups or kittens in tow, looking for a safe place to raise their little ones.
Not unlike the humans who volunteer their time here. They come here to leave the stresses of work behind. Just for a little while, they're not worried about that project that's due tomorrow. And some come with kids in tow... Working with their young, together offering a healing touch to these deserving pets.
Just as, today, we watched these young campers come out of their shells and show their own, distinctive personalities, we also watch these dogs, puppies, cats and kittens come out of their shells. And they definitely have their own, distinctive personalities!
Today, bringing the two, kids and animals, together, and adding in some hard-working, dedicated adult volunteers... A recipe for success!
See more pictures & video of Kids Camp at: https://www.facebook.com/sfaspets
