Contributors:
Nicholas McVicker / Video Journalist
Published June 23, 2022 at 6:07 PM PDT
The summer camp at the Perkins K-8 school is not average.
Many students at this music, dance and art camp at Barrio Logan face homelessness, said City Heights School of Music assistant director Mario Eguia.
“These children are in critical condition. And it’s hard when you live that way to realize that there is beauty there, ”he said.
The Eguia Association is one of the voluntary organizations that offer such a dozen free camps to students in the San Diego Unified School District.
“We do not need more bigots in this world. We need people who are dreamers, people who have hope. And that is what will change, ”Eguia said. “That’s why it’s important.”
Evelia Garduño is a mother of six with two children at the Perkins K-8 art and music camp. She said her family could not have had such an experience.
“I do not have enough money to give the children this opportunity to face something else that they do not have at home or have nowhere else to go. So it is a great opportunity for them, ”Garduño told KPBS in Spanish.
Children attending Perkins Art Camp, such as Jocsan Guerrero Ascencio, a fourth-grader, appreciate being able to relax, make friends and express their feelings.