Watch These Karate Kids in Action at Salvation Army Summer Camp

Grand Master Bobby LaMattina is in the middle of a rapid fire session on self respect in a roomful of kids who are animated, energized and completely engaged.

Between the finer points of karate, LaMattina, drills the 35 Salvation Army summer campers on how to be street smart, how to focus, how to avoid bullies, and how to have a great time without even realizing it's a life lesson they are absorbing.

LaMattina, of Tokyo Joe's Studios of Self Defense, 143 West Pearl St., donates his time to the eight-week program because he knows what a difference it can make in a kid's life.

He was once a kid living in chaos, in need of a safe and nurturing environment, and the neighborhood Salvation Army in East Boston saved him.

"I never forgot about it. The Salvation Army, to me, was magical. It was like magic to me, when you come from a broken-up family, it's hard on a kid. Every kid should have a happy, healthy, memorable childhood," LaMattina said. "They were there for us whether it was toys at Christmas, or food, or just a fun place to be."

Camp is another important facet of the Salvation Army's work in the community, says Amie Groff, in her fourth year running the Salvation Army summer camp as community youth coordinator. She says there is still a need for financial sponsorships, even though camp is well underway.

"The cost is $85 a week per camper, and we try not to turn anybody away for inability to pay," Groff said.

While most parents do their best to afford the $680 summer session, it's an added expense for working families who don't have much wiggle room in their budgets. There are other ways families contribute to the program if they can't swing the full cost, Groff said.

"We have a giving tree, and parents can take an item from the tree and supply that need. They are very wiling to help," Groff said.

Aside from the on-site activities and field trips, including weekly excursions to tend a community garden at the Audubon Center in Auburn, and swimming, campers get breakfast and lunch five days a week, plus two healthy snacks.

Groff explained that meals are provided through the local elementary school, and snacks are reimbursed through a USDA food program.

"Just about every child who comes, their parents work full time. I'd say for 95 percent of them, it's not recreational; it's so that they have a safe place to be while their parents are working," Groff said.

Organized activities, crafts, meals, community spirit -- and life lessons wrapped on a layer of fun -- are built in to the summer camp program, underscoring the Salvation Army's overarching mission, of serving the immediate needs of anyone who comes through their door.

"Our goal is that every child has a fun, safe and meaningful summer camp experience," Groff said. "It's truly a community effort."

If you would like to sponsor a child for summer camp, contact the Salvation Army at 603-889-5151.