Episcopal-affiliated Rural & Migrant Ministry empowers children through camp, educational programs

[Episcopal News Service] Migrant families have never been immune to bigotry and anti-immigration sentiment, which is why Episcopal-affiliated nonprofit Rural & Migrant Ministry exists to support rural and migrant communities across New York.

RMM’s summer overnight leadership camp and day programs for children of migrants have been popular since they launched in 1989 and have continued to serve as a temporary refuge for children and teenagers. 

“I think it’s essential for the church to bear witness to the humanity of our brothers and sisters … because if the church isn’t doing that in this political environment, then who is bearing witness? What is countering the hate and the fear?” said the Rev. Richard Witt, executive director of RMM. “It’s really important for us to hold up the humanity of these children and their families and to bring people together.”

Anti-immigrant rhetoric has only worsened in recent weeks in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, as politicians remain divided over immigration issues. Recently, erroneous claims demonizing migrants have led to increased bigotry and threats of violence.

Children of migrants are safe while at RMM’s summer camp and day programs. At camp, 100 kids between ages 8 and 17 spend a week swimming, playing games, making crafts and much more. The summer day programs last two weeks.

An estimated 2.4 million farmworkers work on farms and ranches nationwide, most of whom are immigrants from Central and South America.

Since 1981, RMM, based in Cornwall-On-Hudson, New York, has assisted rural and migrant communities, including farmworkers, with an emphasis on social justice, education and youth empowerment. RMM operates farmworker education centers in western New York, Long Island, the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry collected thousands of reusable face masks to distribute to farmworkers who were at risk of exposure to coronavirus while they worked in the fields.

Many of RMM’s campers are children of farmworkers, construction workers and manual laborers. Because the children often come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, Witt said RMM works with social agencies throughout the year to connect children and youth with services they need, including counseling.

“A lot of underserved youth and children come to this camp, and many of them are either working during the summer or taking care of their relatives, so our camp provides a great, unique opportunity for children to be children and for them to be taken care of and inspired to grow some skills,” said Andrés Chamorro, RMM’s youth empowerment and youth arts group coordinator who’s based in the Diocese of Rochester.

As the youth arts group coordinator, Chamorro recruits visual and performing artists for camp. The challenge, he says, is finding artists who are also good educators and have experience working with children. Art media range from papier-mâché and painting to drumming, dancing and writing poetry.

The campers are divided into three different age groups: group Hope is ages 8 to 10; group Justice is ages 11 to 13; and group Empowerment is ages 14 to 17. Each group is assigned its own artist and counselors to work with throughout the week.

Camp is based on a theme chosen by the previous year’s campers. This year’s theme was “courageous,” focusing on speaking out for justice and making positive social changes.

“Camp’s a lot of fun, of course, but these kids really want to make a difference in this world,” Witt said. “RMM gives them a pathway toward working toward change and helps them develop the skills they need to be leaders for change, even at their young ages. And that really energizes them. It keeps them going because they feel like they’re being taken seriously.”

Witt said more than 96% of youth who graduate from RMM’s programs enroll in college after completing high school. That’s because, he says, much of RMM’s programming for children and youth, including camp, focuses on leadership, education and confidence building. RMM staff and volunteers also assist with filling out college and financial aid applications.

Most of the children who attend camp annually are returning campers, and many of them volunteer as camp staff after aging out of the programs. Other camp and day program alumni have served as community leaders and advocates, lawyers, teachers, nurses and other service-oriented roles. RMM must fundraise more than $100,000 throughout the year to cover costs.

Every year, campers go on a surprise field trip. This year, they took a two-hour bus ride to Midtown Manhattan, New York City, to watch a matinee performance of “Hamilton” on Broadway. This special experience is an example of what New York Bishop Matthew Heyd says is an “opportunity these amazing children don’t get anywhere else.”

“It’s just incredible. RMM has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the campers,” Heyd told ENS in a Zoom interview. “The world is not easy for a lot of these families, and the kids look forward to camp because it’s a home base in their life. The commitment the people at RMM makes in the summer, they maintain all year round and give folks a sense of safety and community.”

Over the past two years, the campers’ last stop on field trip day before returning home was a special picnic dinner, complete with an ice cream truck, at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Bedford, a wealthy town in the northern portion of Westchester County. The campers would conclude their picnic with a vesper service at St. Matthew’s outdoor chapel.

“Living in this very affluent area, I think it’s very easy to sit in this little bubble and enjoy everything we have, but we need to reach out and share our wealth and resources and benefits with other people,” Mary Farley, treasurer of St. Matthew’s vestry, told ENS. “These children and their families provide all the food that we take for granted. Without them and their families, there would be no food in the supermarkets. These people who are so important to the way we live deserve to be seen and respected.”

Witt said, “Because the election season is so on the public consciousness right now, we must be supportive and stand with immigrants and help honor and hold up their humanity. We strive to do that with RMM and our camp, because the bigger picture is the need for folks that are willing to help provide opportunities and open doors for our young people as they get older.”

-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.