By Mike Doyle
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Mar 15, 2012 @ 03:00 PM
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There are more than three million new child abuse victims reported every year, and, beginning this summer, a special camp will be provided for local victims.
The camp is called the Royal Family Kids Camp. Abused children ages 7 to 11 who have been in foster care spend a week at the camp in Lake Geneva, Wis., and begin to regain trust and build self-esteem.
To help raise funds, organizers are hosting the All About Hats Luncheon and Style Show from noon to 3 p.m. March 31 at the Community Building of Boone County, 111 W. First St., Belvidere.
“We are really looking forward to this first-time event,” said coordinator Nancy Ramos. “There are so many children in need. By attending the luncheon, you will help to make a difference in a young person’s life.”
The event, which is $20 per person and includes a chicken-salad lunch, is being coordinated through Lutheran Social Services and is sponsored by the First United Methodist Church of Belvidere.
Local residents will model the hats, which have been collected by Methodist church members. All proceeds benefit the Royal Family Kids Belvidere, which is affiliated with the national organization of the same name.
According to its website, Royal Family Kids was founded to provide camps for abused, neglected and abandoned children in the U.S.
“The solution for child abuse is to remove the child from the home,” said Ramos. “But unless you have therapy or offer a situation where the children can learn about self-esteem, they get stuck in a cycle. And that’s how the abuse cycle keeps going.
“We are showing that there is a different way of living through this camp. It’s all about family. We serve family-style meals. We have camp grandma and grandpa and aunts and uncles. We have a family.”
The camp, which will be staffed by a team of 40 volunteers, will benefit 30 children in Boone and Winnebago counties.
“A lot of kids are abused in Boone County and placed in foster care,” Ramos said. “But there aren’t that many foster families in Boone County, so many of them go to Winnebago County.”
The event also helps to promote National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is held in April.
“It’s a good time to have the event and bring attention to the problem,” Ramos said.
For tickets and information, contact Ramos at 815-566-1977 or visit belvidere.rfkc.org.
100th celebration
On another subject, this column has been acknowledging the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts, which was celebrated Monday of this week. While driving around the county this week, you may notice green balloons hanging from mailboxes or front doors. It means that a Girl Scout, an adult leader or a lifetime member lives there.
Mike Doyle’s column on people, places and things in Boone County runs Fridays in the Life&Style section of the Register Star.
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