14 msfocusmagazine.org was a constant. I’ve participated in RPK Camp in a cooling vest, on crutches, and with an oxygen tank. During COVID-19, we created a “remote-version” of RPK Camp featuring online bingo, at-home cooking projects, and socially distanced morning meetings that spanned the block and used drumming to communicate. When families moved away, their kids still wanted to participate in RPK Camp, so we created a policy that once someone was part of RPK Camp, they were always welcomed back. Then as the kids grew older, they didn’t want to leave camp; so, we developed a counselor training program. Now RPK Camp is run by middle-schoolers, with minimal adult involvement, and they serve as counselors and role models for the campers. The relationships between the neighborhood kids continue beyond the summer with 3-year-olds dropping off drawings for their favorite counselors, counselors tutoring campers in reading or hockey, and pick-up games of kickball starting on the local field. Beyond helping the neighborhood kids become friends, RPK Camp has strengthened the connections between the adults. After we started RPK Camp, other neighbors stepped forward and started their own annual, neighborhood traditions – the Halloween Party and Chili Competition, the 5K Turkey Trot, the Boxing Day Progressive Dinner, the Luminary Night, the “No Effort” Ladies Night, the Diwali celebration, and the block parties featuring neighborhood bands. It feels like there is a celebration every other month, and those are only the formal events. Countless car rides have been pooled, hand-me-downs passed, and parenting adventures shared. Our neighborhood has become a place where kids feel safe exploring their independence (and parents feel comfortable letting them go) because they know the other families in the neighborhood are also invested in Raising Pos itive, Powerful, Proactive, and Playful Kids (hence RPK). My sister and her husband were recently inspired to bring the RPK Camp model to their own neighborhood. Moreover, they are so excited about the idea that they have now founded RPK Neighborhoods, an organization to help parents everywhere build their own family-focused neighborhood camps. If you are someone interested in starting your own neighborhood camp, or interested in supporting programs like this, see their website: rpkneighborhoods.org. This year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the original RPK Camp, and it has become a beloved annual tradition and one of the backbones of our community. My kids are nearing the end of K-12 schooling, so my time with RPK Camp is likely coming to an end. It’s amazing to think about how a half-day, one-week-a-year camp could bring together a community and help me realize I still have worth. My fatigue forced me to ask myself, “What will you do if you only have three ‘good’ hours a day?” I’m glad I answered with RPK Camp.
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