Camp is the highlight of the summer for so many kids and one Detroit camp director is going above and beyond to make sure his campers get the most out of their summer.
Russell Howard runs Central Detroit Christian Summer Dreams Camp providing more than 200 kids the opportunity to play, learn and work while keeping faith at the center all summer long.
“If they weren’t here God knows what they what they would be, but this place, especially where it’s built now is going to be a refuge,” he said.
From the moment Howard walks into the summer camp, the kids cling to him.
“As I grew up, Russell was one of the best male figures to look at because he was always on point, he always cared,” camp counselor Yvonne Wright said.
His official role is camp director but the kids see him as so much more.
“He loves us, he cares about us,” camper Shanyia Harp said.
Camper Cleveland Raines said “He’s my best friend.” And also, “He’s the bus driver.”
Howard picks up the nearly 200 campers, making sure each student is safe, well fed and getting the most of their summer camp experience
“We want to emphasize kids know how to read when they come here so they’re learning about Jesus, they’re learning about reading and actually getting a change to have fun too,” he said.
He said he treats each child as his own.
“I don’t have any biological children of my own but I consider all of these kids my kids,” Howard said. “There’s a shortage of fathers or people playing a father role to kids in this neighborhood so I just try my best to fill that void.”
And now he’s finding a way to fill the void in a new way by making dozens of trips around town in smaller vans after their bus broke down this week, stopping at nothing to be here for his kids.
“I like to be consistent, a lot of things in these kid’s lives isn’t consistent.”
The bus is critical to Central Detroit Christian's daily mission, if you have a bus to donate or want to help them in any way you can do so on their website.
