By: Devin Herenda
A camp for vulnerable Shasta County kids has been canceled as a result of the ongoing Shelly Fire in Siskiyou County.
Each summer, Redding’s Pathways to Hope for Children leads Camp Hope at Kidder Creek in Siskiyou County, offering a mentorship program for Shasta County kids impacted by domestic violence and other trauma.
The kids learn healthy life skills while participating in fun activities like river rafting, rope courses, and games.
Pathways to Hope Executive Director Jenna Berry told us their team, alongside Kidder Creek representatives, made the tough choice to cancel the camp on July 16 with the Shelly Fire being within a mile of two of Kidder Creek’s property lines.
“For us, it was just too close of a call on whether the conditions would be safe enough for our kids and our families and our staff to be there,” Berry said. “And that was just so hard. It was heartbreaking because we love camp, Kidder loves camp, we adore the staff up there and how hard they work for us, and, and just how much they care about our kids.”
Through the help of donors, the camp is free for kids from the ages of 9 to 17, with 72 campers attending every year after a nomination process.
Berry said the Pathways to Hope team will still give the kids backpacks and sleeping bags the Redding Active 20-30 Club donated for the camp.
She told us that though staff members are sad about the cancellation, they want to focus on physical as well as mental health, making sure the kids in their program aren’t in environments that could cause any fear.
Right now, their team is working on some fun activities for the kids who would’ve attended the camp, and they hope to offer them in the next few weeks.
Click here to view original article on ABC7 KRCR.
The post Summer Camp Helping Vulnerable Shasta County Kids Canceled Due to Nearby Shelly Fire appeared first on Camp HOPE America.
