SAYA Day Camp has been offering fun, safe space since 2001

Detroit — Children in northwest Detroit have a fun, safe space to laugh, play and learn this summer: the SAYA Day Camp at Christ the King Elementary School.

Summer Activities for Youth Achievement is a four-week-long day camp started in 2001 by the Sisters of Mercy and continued through a partnership between the Northwest Detroit Youth Coalition, Daughters of Charity and Corpus Christi Parish.

“The camps have been happening since 2001, but officially started in 2003 by the Sisters of Mercy at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish,” said Curtis Simpson Jr., director of Christian service at Corpus Christi Parish. “It started as a camp for 25 kids for a few hours a day doing small activities, arts and craft. Then, there was a huge call in the city of Detroit for the camp to grow.”

The camp has expanded to hosting an average of 50 to 60 children a day from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday, July 10, to Friday, Aug. 4. The camp costs $50 a week per child, with scholarships available for any family who wants their child to attend the camp.

“We work with the Northwest Detroit Youth Coalition, raising money so nobody gets turned away,” Simpson said. “We have a 6-to-1 ratio of campers to counselors. Campers are given two meals during their time here and are given a snack to take home with them. Most of these kids are from impoverished areas, so it’s great to expose them to a safe, fun, Christ-centered environment.”

The camps are for children ages 6-11; families can sign up week by week, meaning parents can still register up until the last week of the camp.

Activities include sports, daily exercise, music classes, life skills and money management, reading and math enrichment and comprehension, and a religion class.

“The goal of the camp is serve them with different activities to keep kids safe and away from influences detrimental to them,” said Kareen Dillard-Biggs, SAYA day camp director. “I’m a teacher by day, so we have the academic component with reading and math, and we keep them physically active. Part of it is also character development, Christian/spiritual development, a Bible study and some craft projects.”

This is the first year the camp is being held at Christ the King. In years prior it was at the Immaculate Heart of Mercy school building that was part of Corpus Christi Parish on Pembroke Avenue.

The camp goes beyond the boundaries of Christ the King, with field trips each Friday to places around the Metro area. Last year the camp visited the Romulus Recreation Center, the Toledo Zoo, July Days at Belle Isle Park and the Charles White Museum of African-American History.

“Camps are vital for kids to stay active in the summer,” Dillard-Biggs said. “Most parents want their kids to be involved, but so many camps are cost prohibitive. Our camp is $50 a week, but scholarships based on income are available. If you’re just making it, you probably don’t have $150 for daycare. But with the funding grants from the Northwest Detroit Youth Coalition, we’re able to cover them.

“Our mission as Christians is to serve,” Dillard-Biggs added. “Jesus had a fondness for children. Jesus wants us to feed, serve and take care of our children. This aligns us with the Church’s mission.”