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Day camp benefits community, those with disabilities

Skagit Valley Herald - 7/25/2018

July 25--SEDRO-WOOLLEY -- A summer program for young people with disabilities is aiming to provide activities that are both personally enriching and beneficial to the community.

The five-week day camp for those 16 and older is run by Washington Vocational Services, a nonprofit that provides education and training to those with disabilities.

The local camp keeps those involved active while helping community service organizations throughout the county, camp coordinator Morgan Curry said.

"We're giving back to the community while gaining skills," she said.

On Monday morning, campers sorted canned vegetables from the hundreds of pounds of food donated to the Helping Hands Solution Center -- formerly the Helping Hands Food Bank -- as center staff prepare the new facility for opening day.

"Our kiddos, if we don't keep them active ... can easily regress and lose their skills," said Darannie Waham, whose son Asa is enrolled in the program. "We've wanted something like this for years."

Waham said being a parent to a person with a disability is a demanding job, and many parents rely on programs offered during the school year to keep their kids busy.

She said Washington Vocational Services' summer day camp helps her fill Asa's day with engaging activities that teach life skills and benefit the community.

"It's not patronizing work," she said. "It's purposeful, meaningful work. These guys, with a purpose, will rise to the occasion."

Curry said campers learn basic employable skills such as responsibility and workplace safety.

Helping Hands Solution Center will open its doors next week, with a ribbon cutting ceremony set for Saturday, said Operations Manager Erik Larsen.

"Without this group, I would not be ready for the ribbon cutting," he said.

The new facility on Fruitdale Road will replace the existing food bank while adding space for new programs.

Working with Helping Hands introduces campers to the job training and education services provided by the organization, Larsen said.

This week, campers also sorted food into backpacks to help feed children of low-income families and handed out food at the food bank.

Campers previously helped clean up at Padilla Bay and give the Friendship House Cafe a new coat of paint, Curry said.

"Our focus this year is on giving back to the community," she said of the program.

However, she said campers still make time for fun.

"We did a Nerf gun tournament one day," Curry said. "Just something to break up the work."

-- Reporter Brandon Stone: bstone@skagitpublishing.com, 360-416-2112, Twitter: @Brandon_SVH

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(c)2018 the Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.)

Visit the Skagit Valley Herald (Mount Vernon, Wash.) at www.goskagit.com

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