By: Barbara Archer, City of Davis
For the third year in a row, the Davis Parks and Community Services (PCS) Department and Yolo County Housing have successfully partnered to bring recreational summer programming to the children at the Davis Migrant Center with “Campamento Alegre” or “Happy Camp” through five days of educational and fun activities.
The Davis Migrant Center, operated by Yolo County Housing, is home to approximately 50 children for nearly seven months out of the year. A number of these children have come to the Migrant Center every year since birth and have not participated in the City’s recreational programming before, either due to the burden of cost, transportation, language or enrollment. Campamento Alegre eliminates these barriers by hosting the activities on site and in Spanish.
In August, City of Davis Parks and Community Services (PCS) staff provided five days of activities that included: soccer, line dancing, art, painting, origami, a career day, fun with food that included smores making, a charcuterie class, snow cones and pizza. This year’s Campamento Alegre added activities with horses and an end of week raffle thanks to the generous donations from the offices of Supervisor Sheila Allen and Assembly Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry.
Staffing and programming for this series was provided by and paid for by the City of Davis, in addition to multiple donations from the local faith-based community. Access to recreational and life skills programming is vital for all youth and offers opportunities for healthy social interactions, physical exercise, competency building and connection. This continued effort helps to ensure recreational opportunities through the City are accessible and welcoming to the diverse communities that call Davis home.
“Every year, City staff think of more exciting and educational ways to engage the kids who live here,” said Yolo County Housing Executive Director Ian Evans. “Director Machado and I are so fortunate to have staff who are so committed to serving these residents, and to the Davis City Council for continuing to view this as a priority. It was wonderful to attend the end of week celebration and see a slideshow of the fun the kids had throughout the week and the excitement when their names got called to choose a gift provided by PCS and a gift card that was generously donated by the offices of Supervisor Allen and Assembly Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry.”
“Each year, Campamento Alegre grows in both creativity and impact,” said City of Davis Parks and Community Services Director Deanne Machado. “This summer, we were able to expand opportunities for play, learning and joy, thanks to strong partnerships and the generosity of our community. These experiences build lasting memories and resilience for the children we serve.”
The City’s PCS Department has taken significant steps to improve access to recreational programming by strengthening partnerships with local organizations, increasing scholarship availability and expanding outreach to underserved populations. With the City Council’s ongoing commitment of permanent funding for inclusive programming, this work now extends year-round and includes reserved enrollment spaces in the Davis Children’s Nutcracker.
