Teen Volunteers Make Impact at Local Camp

Instead of spending the summer at sleepaway camp or tanning at the beach, ten local teenagers decided to lend their services to the l Day Camp on Morris Avenue. 

Throughout the month of July, the teens volunteered to organize activities and facilitate socialization among the young campers.

“Every single one of these (volunteers) have come every morning, ready to work,” Camp Director Janice Burke said. “The (campers) look up to them. The teenagers are so happy to be here. They make it fun, especially for the two, three, and four year olds who are a little bit nervous sometimes. They make it easy for (the campers) to come in and enjoy themselves.”

Four of the volunteers attend school in Rockville Centre. Sofia Harrison, Talia Cutrone, and Michelle Cosares attend . Thomas Burke goes to .

The rest of the volunteer staff is made up of students from surrounding areas. Cait Sackman (Sacred Heart Academy), Matthew Donohue (Garden City Middle School), Jessica and Sara Pietrera (Baldwin Middle School), and Annemarie and William Donohue (Garden City High School) round out the staff.

The reasons for volunteering at the camp varied. Some needed community service hours for school, while others wanted to experience what it's like to supervise toddlers. 

“I want to babysit when I’m older. I think this is good practice,” Jessica Pietrera, 13, said.

According to Janice Burke, the campers enjoyed interacting with the teens. It’s clear that the feeling was mutual. 

“I love this because I can be a kid again,” Cosares said. “I love to play with the kids and make connections with them. It’s really nice.”

Many of the volunteers said that they intend to continue working with younger children during the school year, whether it be at the nursery school or other locations within the community.