Some people slow down in the summer. Sharon Moody, volunteer extraordinaire, kicks into full gear.
For the sixth summer in a row, Moody is heading up the Lots of Hugs Summer Reading Program for at-risk and low-income youth. The goal of the program is to combat the “summer slide,” where students, especially low-income kids, fall behind their peers academically.
With 95 kids enrolled this year, the camp has grown from the 35 students who first came in 2010.
“They’re still coming, so I might end up getting over 100,” Moody said. “Most of them come every day, except for the ones that have to go to summer school.”
Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Warren Street serves as the camp’s home base for kids ages 5 to 12. From 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., the kids work on reading, writing and computer skills, arts and crafts and team building.
Moody started the program after seeing kids playing on the street during the summer. She wanted to make sure they had a safe place to go, where they would be learning every day.
She also wanted to make it affordable for parents, especially single parents. For the entire camp, which runs through Wednesday, Aug. 3, the cost is $75. Scholarships are available for those in need.
“It was just a vision of mine,” Moody said. “Some of the parents might leave kids at home or they would be out on the street corners. The Lord just brought a vision to me, and I just started it out. Most of these camps are very expensive, and this is more affordable.”
When Moody isn’t running the camp, she’s cooking. Every day, she provides the campers with breakfast, a hot lunch and a snack.
“We feed them because some of them might not get any food until they see us the next day,” Moody said.
Each year, the camp adds something new for the kids to look forward to, including speakers. This year, the campers practiced team-building exercises with Estella Davis, from the Girl Scout Summer Program. They also heard from the Miss Buckle-Up Princess Foundation on the importance of wearing their seat belts.
The kids are able to go on field trips, as well. The annual trip to Legoland each year is a camper favorite. This year, campers also will go to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and the Lowry Park Zoo, both in Tampa.
Moody said she’s able to see a change between kids when they first come to the camp and when they leave, especially those who continue to come back every year.
“They know you care for them by the way you treat them,” Moody said. “You want to know if you’re helping them,
and some kids say it’s helped them.”
Moody relates to the kids, as well. As a child, she wanted to go to summer camp but usually stayed at home.
“I just have a passion for it,” she said. “My heart goes out to them.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.