The Summer Day Camp project in Wilkes County gives kids a safe and structured summer of activities and learning, but they need a little help from the community to make it happen.

"The summer camp represents one of the few opportunities youth have for safe and structured activity during the long summer days," said Partnership Executive Director Carolyn Reynolds. "The summer camp is recognized as one of Wilkes County's most worthy programs for youth benefitting the children and the community."

The Wilkes County Community Partnership conducts six-week youth summer camps from mid-June until the end of July. "The annual event has become so popular that it now serves over 200 youth throughout the summer, with attendance around 175 on most days," Reynolds said.

As part of the summer camp structure, the staff and volunteers provide education and learning opportunities to reinforce the child's vision of the future and promote positive youth development through healthy choices, Reynolds said. The learning stresses school success, abstinence education, character development, alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention, health and nutrition, and leadership.

"During the past five years, we have expanded these learning opportunities to include youth entrepreneurial workshops and youth leadership initiatives. While the youth learned how to plan and operate a business, adults in our community have enjoyed the fruits of the new summer camps as well."

Youth campers construct picnic tables and other outdoor furniture to sell, while others create meals on an outdoor cooking platform. "Last year, Washington police judged our 'Iron Chef Wilkes' competitive team-based program, and people were able to purchase high-quality furniture built by the youth," she said.

She also says that keeping 200 kids busy all summer benefits the community. "Washington Police Chief Mike Davis reports that in past years, there were no juvenile crimes in the City of Washington during the six-week period covered by the camp," Reynolds said.

But the campers need help.

"Because Wilkes County is a small county, we'll most likely always depend on local support to help keep our camps going," she said. "But we also need community support. We are most grateful to one local industry, Anthony Wood Products, for providing surplus wood for our woodworking projects. Please consider supporting the youth teams by donating items from the list for our projects. We'd love for anyone to visit and see what a wonderful opportunity it is for our youth and just how impressive the projects are."

The following list contains the items used in the projects. Because the Wilkes County Community Partnership is a 501 c-3 non-profit organization, donations may be considered tax exempt.

Cooking Projects:

Paper towels, Solo cups, aluminum foil, liquid dishwashing soap, charcoal, lighter fluid, soft drinks (cans), barbecue utensils.

Wood-Working Projects

Potting soil, flowers, flower seeds, wood stain (i.e., Min-wax), waterproofing (Thompson's or Armor All wood protectant), paint brushes, buckets, clean-up rags, sandpaper (3.5" disks for rotary sanders or sheets for orbital sanders), 3/8" drill bits, 1/8" drill bits, 3/8" x 4.0" carriage bolts, 3/8" washers for bolts, 3/8" nuts for bolts, 3.5" deck screws, 2.5" deck screws.

If you'd like to help, please contact Horace or Dorothy Jordan at the Reese Booker Center, 706-6784981 or 2427, to determine what items are needed most and how to make delivery. If making a cash donation, please make checks payable to Wilkes County Community Partnership, P.O. Box 88. Washington, GA 30673. Gifts to the Partnership are tax deductible.