Royal Family Kids Camp

It’s that time of year again where I grab my air horn, sun block, and my crocs, and sleep on a bed that’s a foot too small for me. Thank You to those of you who donate to the cause each year. You can’t possibly begin to know the difference that you make.

For the last 5 years I have volunteered as a camp counselor for Royal Family Kids Camp. RFKC is a one week summer camp for kids who are in foster care or group homes. These kids come from all types of backgrounds. Some have no parents and are true “orphans” as they get passed from home to home, and some have parents who are either recovering drug addicts, or were extremely abusive. Most of them have behavioral issues, or don’t trust adults. They may get protective of their food when they eat, some are aggressive, and a few like to run. I had runners my first year

During a typical week at camp we make sure each kid feels like they are treated like royalty. Each counselor has two campers and no adults are EVER allowed to be with campers without another adult present. It’s how we ensure both the kids safety and ours. It’s usually 4 counselors and 8 kids to a cabin. Total chaos, but in a fun way. Each day we do activities, such as fishing, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, and each night there is a different fun event. One of the nights we do a camp birthday party where the kids all get to wear tye dye shirts that they made earlier in the week, and they get cake and ice cream, and of course gifts. Many of the campers have never had a birthday party, or even received a gift, and it can be a very emotional event. We spend a good portion of the year drumming up donations for camp and digging up volunteers. Each camper cost roughly $1000 when you break down the total cost of the full week.

It is the most exhausting week of the year for me, but many of the other staff at the camp are like family, and some are quite literally my family! My younger brother Joe, and sister Bekki and her husband are all involved. Bekki and Joe and I were all foster kids.They both were once campers, and later returned to be key staff members of the RFKC team. When I came to college in 2000 I had aged out of the group home I was at. My Aunt Amy(aka mom) adopted my younger brothers Joe and Andy, and she is now the camp nurse. I have never found a more rewarding use of my time. I give up a week of my life, and most likely my pay, I barley sleep, and deal with being away from my own kids. If I am lucky I have been able to help teach some of the campers how to swim, participated in something that makes them laugh, and maybe, just maybe, had an impact on one of their lives. It’s a week where we get to remind them that there are good people in the world, and that they do matter. It’s a total mental and physical gauntlet, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Camp is hard, but it puts a smile on my face, and pushes me to be a better dad, and a better human.

If you are interested in becoming a staff or donating please please reach out to me. Thank you for donating! Anything and everything helps. Thank You for making a difference.

-Matt Ehrich