Salvation Army gives kids a taste of summer
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer

Children in the Salvation Army Red Bank Corps summer program along with corps members and volunteers enjoyed a fun day July 24 that included games and cool treats from an ice cream truck.

RED BANK — An ice cream truck, potato sack races and some good old-fashioned fun proved to be a good recipe for producing smiles at the Salvation Army's Fun Day held at the center on Newman Springs Road.

Northern Monmouth County children enjoyed a day filled with laughter, outdoor fun and ice cream compliments of the summer activities program of the Salvation Army Red Bank Corps and local sponsors like United Teletech Financial, Meridian Health and Commerce Bank.

"We were able to send 40 children to sleep-away camp at Camp Tecumseh for a week because of the donations," said Tammy B r i g g sspokeswoman for the Salvation Army located in Red Bank. "The SalvatioArmy has been running a summer camp program for kids in this area forever."

According to Briggs, the SalvatioArmy Red Bank Corps has been providing assistance for underserved children and families in the northern Monmouth County area since 1924.

This year, the camp program shrank a bit, running six weeks instead of eight as a reflection of the economic times, Briggs said.

"We did not have as many donations this year, but the need is the same or even more," she said. "Our budget was cut, but we still have volunteers ready to serve as camp counselors and we are making do with what we have."

Briggs said that the summer camp program serves about 40 children from the Red Bank and Keansburg areas. Chock full of day trips, recreation and learning programs, the camp gives children who otherwise may not have the experience, the full experience of summer camp.

"During the summer, we have mobile recreation come in and do physical activities with them. We do day trips to the beach, the Popcorn Park Zoo and a Manasquan Reservoir boat tour," Briggs explained. "It costs $20 a week for each child, and that cost is made possible through our sponsorships."

The new 26,000-square-foot facility on Newman Springs Road includes a gymnasium where mobile recreation holds activities to get campers moving. The satellite location in Keansburg, which opened in 2003, is smaller but still brings in 20 campers to the summertime program.

The off-site trips are another way to get northern Monmouth County youngsters out and about and seeing what the area holds for them, Briggs said.

According to a press release from the SalvationArmy, the costs of day trips, the week at Camp Tecumseh in Hunterdon County and daily activities total $45,000.

"Fun Day is a way for the kids to enjoy a barbecue and get outside," Briggs said. "Hopefully, next summer we can be back up to our eight weeks of fun, because a lot of kids need this."

Briggs said the camp serves children ages 6 to 12, and when campers turn 13 the camp tries to enlist them as volunteers to keep them in the program and stay active.

"We do offer teen programs during the year, but there are kids who are older than 12 that still need adult supervision, and so we have them come back as volunteers — and we love having them back," Briggs said. "We also run a vacation Bible school beginning in August after camp ends."

This year, camp ended Aug. 8.

"Donations are what keep programs like these rolling," Briggs said. "We didn't have as many donations this year, but we are hopeful for next year."

To donate to the Salvation Army Red Bank Corps, call 732-747-1626 for more information.