Camper Returns as Counselor

Any visit to Camp Lots-of-Fun this year revealed 26 happy campers (literally!). A similar number of volunteer camp counselors made sure every child was engaged in all activities and having a great time. One counselor in particular –Teana Shine– moved comfortably among the older girls and boys (ages 10 through 12).

Teana knows exactly what these pre-adolescent youth are experiencing every day. She knows the embarrassment they feel about being homeless and the secret they keep, often from their very best friends. Teana was once homeless and lived in the Emergency Family Shelter and a New Leaf transitional apartment along with her mother and younger brother when Family Promise was the IRF. Now, at age 16, she is giving back. “She’s such a good counselor,” said Riya Bali, Director of Camp Lots-of-Fun. “Teana is the perfect combination of toughness and genuine compassion.”

“I have a lot of good memories from camp,” said Teana. “I met a lot of role models and considered them like big sisters. Now, I’m that person for the next generation. You never know what affect you might have on someone.”

Teana is going to be a high school junior and hoping to go to college on a basketball scholarship. “If I don’t get a scholarship, of course I’m still going to college,” she stated.
WOW! What a role model!