“Everyone’s Birthday Party” features fun with Royal Family Kids volunteers.
Submitted photo
Editor’s note: The Daily Reporter will feature our “Neighbors” each month, whether it be someone with an interesting hobby or profession, or a nonprofit group making a difference in our community. Here, Stacey Jones shares about Royal Family Kids, a camp and mentoring program for local children. Jones is the director of the camp and volunteers annually with her family. If you know a person or a group that you’d like to see featured in Neighbors, email [email protected].
Daily Reporter: Can you share Royal Family Kids’ mission?
Stacey Jones: Our mission is to mobilize the local church to create life-changing moments for children who have experienced relational trauma. We serve kids between the ages of 7 – 11 who have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
DR: How does the camp work?
SJ: We normally take around 35 kids to camp each year with around 64 volunteers. Our goal is to love on these kids and allow them to be kids for the week. We then have a group mentoring program that meets one Saturday each month September through May. We hope that by building relationships with these kids we can help break the cycle.
DR: When was it established?
SJ: Royal Family Kids’ is a world wide organization founded in 1985. The Wilkinson Church of Christ started our chapter in 2001.
DR: Can you tell us who’s involved?
SJ: Board members are Tony Darling, Stacey Jones, Mark Stacy, Rich McCorkle, Jessica Lowe, Steve Nelson, Neil Hall and Harold Dungan. We have all volunteers.
DR: What is your group’s biggest challenge?
SJ: Fundraising and volunteers. We raise all of the funds for camp and club. There is no cost to the children we serve. We do not want to add a fee to the caregivers of these children. Our primary event is our one-week summer camp and our year-long mentoring program. Our main resource for funds is donations.
DR: How can someone help out?
SJ: If you would like to volunteer you can contact the office at the Wilkinson Church of Christ and we will send you an application as all of our volunteers are screened and background-checked due to the nature of the children that we serve. If you would like to send a tax-deductible donation, you can send it to the Wilkinson Church of Christ in care of Royal Family Kids, 7293 Ind. 109, Wilkinson, IN 46186.
For more, visit wccin.org, forthechildren.org/about-us/camps, or call 765-781-2585.
