Lifestyles

Nonprofits need camp volunteers

For some area children, summer camps provide much more than a place to make crafts and sing songs. The SoZo Kids program changed my life, said Darian Biggs, of Ocala. Camp SoZo kept me busy while my mom was at work and gave me something to focus on. You are surrounded by good people who just want the best for you and your life. In the tri-county area around 97,000 students are out of school for the summer, and an estimated 66% of them live at or below the federal poverty line, according to records provided by Sumter, Lake, and Marion school districts. Many of them need care during the summer, and area nonprofit organizations are on a mission to offer free or low-cost camps that provide fun, enrichment, and a safe place to go while their parents work.