Two Kalamazoo Moms Create Summer Camp for Neighborhood Children – I’m Not Crying

Warning. Make sure you have tissues nearby when reading this article. The contents will melt the cockles of your heart...

The pandemic has certainly put a damper on things. First everything closed. Then everything as cancelled. The hope was that if we made it through a few months of isolation we'd be able to have some semblance of normalcy come summer. Well, summer is here, and there's more disappointment. So many summer programs that children and families look forward to all year long are not being held this summer due to social distancing concerns. Two Kalamazoo mothers are doing something about it.

Iesha Williams an Sharon Hutchins are determined to help neighborhood kids get a mini-summer camp experience every day. At first, their Interfaith Homes group was a healthy 15 kids strong. Now, they host roughly 75. According to an article from WWMT, the pair use their own money to purchase supplies for the children. A fundraiser was organized to contribute $2,200 to offset their costs. They do arts and crafts, journal, and have movie nights in an effort to keep the kids busy, engaged, and ready to go back to school. They're also making sure the food insecure children get the meals they need.

I told you. This is a tissue story.

From Zoom hangouts and drive-by birthday parties, we Kalamazooans sure know how to adapt and make the best out of a bad situation. I wish Williams and Hutchins luck in this endeavor and encourage others in the community to find ways to reach out. We're in this together. We'll get through it together.

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