Kids panhandling for "Camp Kickin' It" on Shattuck downtown
Yesterday (Thursday 7/13) around 11am, I took my 9-year-old to John's Ice Cream on Shattuck as a treat during our "staycation." On the corner, there were some kids with a table and some signs. Looked like 2 teenagers and about 4 younger kids, elementary age or so. Two 8-9 year old boys approached my son and I to ask for donations for their summer camp program. They were sweet, earnest, and well spoken. They carried poster/signs about an anti-bullying program and wore craft-decorated, hand-lettered t-shirts that said Camp Kickin' it. They said their camp was held at the Berkeley Marina. I chatted with them, asking if they went on field trips and what schools they went to (one child mentioned a Christian school and the other said he goes to "Howard"). I have been thinking about these kids ever since, both because I completely understand the financial struggle that is summertime childcare for working parents, and because I can't get it out of my head that having 3rd graders asking for money on the sidewalks of downtown Berkeley seems so wrong. I have so many questions now. Are the parents informed of how this camp involves their kids in direct fundraising? Is this even legal? Are these kids being exploited? Is it really any different from the kids who sell girl scout cookies or raffle tickets in front of a store or BART station? Is this an adult-run program, and if so, what is it and who runs it? Can I make a modest donation in a way that does not promote kids essentially panhandling? I tried to find Camp Kickin' it or camps that use the Berkeley Marina, but failed to come up with a reasonable match (there is a Camp Kickin' it, but it is (a) in El Cerrito, (b) for teens, and (c) ended on July 1). I so wish I had asked more questions at the time. If anyone has answers or knows more of the back story, please share. Thank you!
Parent Replies
Not sure if it's the same operation, but there was a religious private school in Oakland, St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church & School, that was dropping off young children at BART stations to solicit donations that were then used for who knows what by the director/minister, who refused to answer any questions about how these donations were used. Here is a 2011 article about this from California Watch: http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/controversial-church-sends-kids-… and a 2012 KPIX report: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/06/04/oakland-school-with-panhand…
Doubt they were hustling for a camp at all. More likely just "kickin it" this summer and figured out a semi-creatively way to do it. What camp would set up fundraising in the manner you describe? Highly questionable all around...
I was taken by some kids that had a similar setup. They had nicely printed cards advertising a camp and said they were selling kid friendly CD's to support the camp program. I had my 5-year old daughter with me and was distracted. I usually don't give money out at all, but they were so enthusiastic and appealed to me very directly. If I had looked more closely at all of the stuff they handed me right there, I would have realized it was a scam right away, but I didn't look until I got home. There was actually a song on the CD they sold me, although it clearly had nothing to do with any camp. I think they just grabbed a bunch of cards from the camp and used them for their own purposes.