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Camp shuttles kids, seeks space Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Nick Mix, 8, left, Ryan Heard, 10, Ivan Valdez, 8, Jared Jackson, 7, and Dion Barkley, 7, take a break from activities at the Kids Unlimited summer camp at the Jackson Elementary School playground. The camp is for children of low-income families. Kids Unlimited loses use of school to budget problems By DAMIAN MANN Medford's neediest children have felt a bit like orphans this summer as an agency that provides a day camp program struggles with limited facilities and searches for shelter from the heat. Kids Unlimited has been confronted with a logistics nightmare as children are bused, led from building to building and sheltered from the sun under a temporary canopy. "We're trying to come up with creative ways of keeping them out of the sun," said Executive Director Tom Cole. "It's been crazy this summer." His organization, which has run the camp since 1998, was hard hit this summer when it lost the use of the cafeteria at Jackson Elementary School because of budget constraints and the expense of maintaining custodial staff. The 168 children from low-income families who have signed up for the daily program - most from west Medford schools - still are able to use the playground at Jackson Elementary. With the loss of the Jackson Elementary cafeteria, Cole said he is forced to shuttle them from location to location. At any time as many as a third of the children - ranging in age from 6 to 14 - might be in transit to another facility. Cole had to go out and buy a canopy last week to shelter the children as temperatures rose to triple digits on the school playground. His staff members also have to unroll 560 feet of hose to provide water. "Every afternoon we set up a canopy, and every evening we pull it down," said Cole. Between the canopy, the hose and the endless busing and juggling, Cole said his staff members eat up a lot of time that could otherwise be devoted to the students, many of whom get a little cranky in the afternoon heat. The summer program, with a budget of $50,000, is designed primarily to give the children something fun to do but also devotes attention to their education. Cole said it has become a struggle to find facilities for his children, who are admittedly a handful and can be messy. Some have come from abusive homes, others might have slept outside the night before. A 12-year-old took an overdose of heroin at the age of 10. Another child had burn marks on her body. Some children were forced to sleep in a 24-hour laundromat. "Some kids just have to sleep outside at night because of what's going on in their homes," said Cole. Every day he is confronted with children who have endured a variety of problems. "We have kids in here who have experimented with drugs and alcohol." Many organizations are reluctant to let Kids Unlimited use their space because of maintenance and budget concerns, he said. An investment in these children now will result in less costs later, he countered. "The value isn't visible on day one, but the mess is." Junior Sanchez, who started as a freshman at Kids Unlimited and finally became a staff member at age 17, said the situation would be better if his organization could still use the air-conditioned cafeteria at Jackson Elementary School. Kids Unlimited does make daily, but limited, use of the Santo Community Center, The Shack teen center and Jackson swimming pool - all within walking distance of the school. It can also use VIBES Main 1, a teen dance club, but this creates transportation problems for Kids Unlimited, which rents vans at lower-than-normal rates. Cole said he is grateful for the support he does get, but also thinks the community isn't aware of the tremendous needs of these children. Hank Collins, director of the county Health and Human Services Department, said he checked on the children recently and determined there was no health problem associated with the heat. "The saddest thing is that they are just outside the cafeteria (at Jackson Elementary)," said Collins. "It's too bad they can't use it." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.