Holy Cross Ministries seeks volunteers for summer camp

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Holy Cross Ministries helps children succeed academically.

PARK CITY — As summer approaches, Holy Cross Ministries in Utah is getting ready to offer summer camps to help prepare pre-school children for kindergarten.

The camps, which will be held in Park City and serve children ages 3-4, are in need of volunteers, said Ivoone Chapa, coordinator of HCM’s school readiness program.

“Our summer program is very different from the one that we offer through the school year,” Chapa said.

From September to May, HCM’s School Readiness Program uses the Creative Curriculum, a research-based curriculum for preschool, along with assessment tools that align with the Common Core State Standards, Utah’s state early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework, according to the HCM website.

The summer camp program, which runs from June to July, “provides a variety of activities designed to help students build English language skills, increase social and emotional development and prepare to enter kindergarten,” the website states.

HCM relies on volunteers “for a very wide range of tasks,” Chapa said, adding that some volunteers are needed before the camp starts.

“They will be helping us with cleaning, organizing the classrooms, the materials, cutting and creating materials for the kids; organizing and designing the information needed every week for the program,” Chapa said.

These volunteers are needed June 9-13 at any time that they can volunteer, she said.

“Then the camp starts on June 16 and it will run till July 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here, these volunteers will help us with taking the kids to different locations,” Chapa said.

A variety of community partners help support HCM’s summer camp, including the Summit Community Garden Project, which provides a plot and seeds; in the summer, HCM organizes a schedule for daily care of the plot.

“We also need volunteers that desire to teach sports or music to our participants,” Chapa said, adding that putting their treasures, talents and time in action through this program is very important.

“The purpose of each human being is to serve one another as Jesus did. He came to serve all. He always helps the most in need,” she said.

The program is open to all those volunteers that are willing to do that, she added.

“Our community tends to focus just on working, and in the summer the kids are just left home watching TV or [being on] their computers/tablets all day long, and in this program they will have the opportunity to learn and have fun with healthy limits and helping them with their growth,” Chapa said.

Those who wish to volunteer must complete the diocesan Safe Environment certification; a background check also is required.

“This is for the safety and well-being of all the participants, the volunteers and us,” Chapa said.

For information about volunteering with the HCM Summer Camp, call 385-257-2414.