Coffee County home to one of over 250 Royal Family Kids’ Camps

Originally conceived by Bill Sneed, the Royal Family Kids’ Camp had its beginnings in Coffee County as the Enterprise Christian Youth Camp. When the group that was instrumental in starting the camp found out about the Royal Family Kids’ Camp, which originated in California in 1985, it decided to adopt this program and establish a RFK camp in place of the Enterprise Christian Youth Camp.

The Royal Family Kids’ Camp is designed especially for youth ages 7-12 who have been the victims of sexual abuse, and there are over 200 such camps in the United States. The RFK camp in Coffee County opened in 2001.

The camp has room for 35 campers with two adult counselors for each child. Sessions said that because of the nature of the abuse these youth have experienced, it is important to have counselors that the children can trust. All of the counselors are volunteers and include adult, college-aged and junior counselors who are high school students. Some even come from out of the state to volunteer.

The camp is supported by a variety of organizations and individuals from churches, to Sunday school classes, to clubs like the Lions Club, to individuals who give of their time, talent and resources to benefit the camp. Sessions said that there is always a need for volunteers to assist with the one-week long camp usually held the second week of July. The cost for food, lodging, insurance and all the activities that take place runs about $600 per child for one week, so financial donations are always welcome to help defray the cost of the camp. The RFK camp is a 501-C3 tax exempt organization, so donations are tax deductible.

When the children arrive at the camp, they find a blanket and pillow with their name embroidered on it, a Bible and a pen/pencil case of their very own. For many of them, this is the first time they have ever had personal belongings, made just for them, that they don’t have to share or return.

The camp facilities include cabins for some of the counselors, a dormitory for the girls and boys (girls on one side, boys on the other with adult counselors in attendance), a gym, a dining hall and multiple outdoor activities. During the week of the camp, a birthday party is held to celebrate the children’s birthdays—many of the children have never had a birthday party or received gifts, so the counselors “go all out” with decorations, cakes and gifts for the campers.

Sessions noted that he would like to see a year-round mentoring program that would allow the children to stay in touch with their counselors throughout the year, perhaps meeting once a month for a bite to eat. He believes that the children would benefit from and enjoy a long-term relationship with the counselors, rather than never seeing them again after the week at camp. Because this camp is the only one in this area of the southeast, Sessions said he believes there is a need for additional camps and would like to open locations in either Georgia or the Florida panhandle.

As of November 2020, Royal Family Kids officially became For The Children, and this change has allowed expansion into advocacy, awareness, fostering and adoption, volunteer engagement and more.