Summer camp gives kids a father-to-child relationship.
James Pormento and his children Dana, left, Jet and Nicole enjoy the final day of Fathers Making a Difference Day Camp at St. Nicholas Catholic School on Friday.
Staff photo/ERIC HEINO
Summer at camp was a blast, but with the humid August weather also came the last day to hang out with friends at Fathers Making a Difference day camp.
The group of 21 campers and their families gathered inside St. Nicholas Catholic School, near Bellamy Road and Lawrence Avenue, on the last day of a camp that put them in touch with positive male role models.
"A lot of social issues that we have in our community comes from kids that don't have a strong male presence in their lives, so we step in and we try to give that to kids who don't have it," said Travis Myers, mentorship and program director.
Fathers Making a Difference is a non-profit organization that tries to keep families healthy by encouraging a strong father-to-child relationship. Through scholarships, parenting workshops, financial aid programs and summer camp, the organization aims to improve the lives of youngsters across Scarborough.
For six weeks, the campers, aged six to 14, grew together through drama, art and weekly field trips. At $80 a week, the subsidized fee is less expensive than regular City of Toronto day camps.
By spending time with the kids from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every week day, Myers hopes he kept them on the right track.
"From being in detention centres and the back of cop cars, we have seen it. We couldn't change our lives around for the better then, but we can for these children who are in similar situations. They can learn from our mistakes," said Myers.
The camp enrolled more children than ever before, but Myers pointed out the difficulty in raising the organization's profile on a limited budget.
He felt "it wasn't about the money or numbers," but if there is enough interest and the funds are available, he is considering holding an extended camp over the entire summer next year.
Visit www.fathersmakingadifference.com for more information.