POWERGRAMS

41 In the heart of Alabama's Black Belt, an area known for its rich, fertile soil and cultural history, there is a place where passion, love and community unite for a few short weeks each summer. This place is Sawyerville Day Camp (SDC) in Greensboro. To the campers, staff and community, SDC is much more than a camp. It is a place to love, learn, grow and achieve year after year. And for 23 years, this camp has touched the lives of campers and staff and made an indelible mark on Hale County. From humble beginnings for a week each year in the early 1990s, the free day camp has grown to three one-week sessions that include a special initiative – the Yellowhammer Learning Program (YLP). While the location of the camp has moved from the Head Start Center in Sawyerville to Greensboro Elementary School, the same goals have remained: • Serve Christ through outreach • Improve race relations in Alabama • Broaden the horizons of children and counselors through activities, relationship-building and academics • Enrich the lives of those living in poverty in Hale County and surrounding areas. With 739 campers and 342 staff members in 2015 alone, both SDC and the community have come to rely on each other to ensure each day at camp runs as smoothly as the last. "We depend on the Greensboro community for use of the school, buses, bus drivers and Boys & Girls Club along with various housing for our summer-long staff," said Carole Kelly, SDC interim executive director. "Many of the staff members are paid a stipend and have come to depend on this extra summer income. We also pay for bus use, the bus drivers, some housing, groceries purchased at local grocery stores, etc. I think we give a small boost to the local economy." EDUCATION Foundation boosts Black Belt summer camp, learning program BY ANNA CATHERINE ROBERSON Photos by Ted Tucker

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