Less than 3 percent of kids who age out of the foster care system (like Darren did) will go to college. LESS THAN 3 PERCENT. In fact, a very large amount of young men in Darren’s shoes end up in jail, or homeless almost instantly once they turn 18. One evening we had the opportunity to ask Darren how and why he managed to be different than the many other young men in his circumstances. His response was this, “ Every time my friends would start doing drugs, breaking the law or getting with girls I would just stop and think about my Camp Grandma and Camp Grandpa. What would they think if they saw me doing this? I couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing them like that”
The love, encouragement, and belief that was shown to Darren at camp changed the course of his entire life. For many of our campers, our camp will be the only time throughout the year that they are given love, positivity, and encouragement. Royal Family Kids Camp is sometimes the only place that shows them that there is a hope for their future, a different and better way to live life.