Summer camps are meant to keep kids active; a place where friendships are born. And at one camp in South Dallas, laughter hides hardship.
"I'd say between 50 and 75 percent of the kids come from a local housing development right down the street," said Donald Parish Jr., of True Lee Missionary Baptist Church.
"We call it our 'summer of hope,'" added his mom, Deborah Parish.
Deborah Parish launched the camp nine years ago.
"Because our mission is to restore hope in the lives of people," she added.
Deborah's husband is pastor, and resources come and go.
"This is not grant money," she chuckled. "This is private donations and we're about on the hair of our chinney, chin, chin. We're barely making it."
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Still, the camp is free. It's held at her church, in a community where crime stories often drown out all of the good ones.
"I just prayed, 'Lord, we need to move hope forward because this area needs us,'" she said.
With Deborah Parish's help, the kids are also learning how to swim. The local YMCA hosts them once a week, for free lessons.
The kids also get a warm cooked meal.
"There's a lot of kids, when school is not in, are not eating healthy and some are not eating at all," Donald Parish Jr. explained.
It wouldn't be possible without caring volunteers, like Willis Sargent.
"You get tired sometimes, but the end result you appreciate because we do things that help the kids, " Sargent said. "We need to try and build this area up."
But the biggest benefit may be in the classroom.
"Educational attainment, if you look at stats, are very low for this area," Deborah Parish said. "Not many graduate high school, let alone go to college."
To change that, local teachers have created a curriculum to challenge the kids.
"This gives us a really good excuse to do what the church is supposed to be doing anyway and that's having an impact on the community," Donald Parish Jr. added.
Deborah Parish and her family know they can't help every child. But they draw strength from the one, they say can.
"I know what God called me to do and that's to help bring hope to all the residents and especially the children in the area," Deborah Parish said.
For more information visit: http://truelee.org/home.
