Savoring Sounds of Moss Hollow

Alice Reid
Friday, June 27, 2008

By this evening, camp songs should be bouncing off the walls of Alimorris Mack's Anacostia apartment. Four members of the extended Mack family return today from a week at Camp Moss Hollow, and if it's anything like last year, they will be singing at the top of their lungs.

"They come home and sing those songs all the time," Mack said recently. In fact, over several summers she has absorbed most of the lyrics herself.

Her daughter Chastity, 9, leapt up from her seat in the apartment living room to demonstrate.

"Watermelon! Chicken! Grits and peas! Moss Hollow's got a lotta mouths to feed!" she belted.

Her cousins nodded and joined in.

Last week, the day before the Mack contingent boarded a school bus for the 60-mile trek to Moss Hollow, they were gleeful at the prospect. Mack's nephew, Hassan, 10, was already packed.

Soon they would be free of the city, sleeping in cabins with only tree frogs to listen to at night. They would be swimming, fishing and canoeing in a small pond and hiking up trails that wind through the camp's 400 acres. Camp Moss Hollow -- run by a century-old charity, Family and Child Services of Washington -- exists for youngsters who need a summer break from city life.

Mack, a single mom who works at a bakery making pies, gets scholarship help for her children to attend. But one niece and her 14-year-old brother, whose mom, Mack said, is "dealing with some life issues," attend Moss Hollow through donations from readers like you.

With the trip to camp coming fast, the children were so eager to talk about Moss Hollow that they took to raising their hands to make sure a visitor got everything.

Mack's niece, Ebony, 9, wanted to talk about last year's treasure hunt.

"We had to find a daddy longlegs, a frog, a crayfish, a snake skin!" she said as Chastity dashed into the bedroom to retrieve a gold-painted rock their team had won for the hunt.

And then certain themes began to emerge in the conversation, such as snakes. There are snakes at Camp Moss Hollow -- harmless black snakes -- but they make an impression.

"We saw a snake in the woods, and we were scared," Hassan offered.

The kids in Ebony's cabin had seen one, too, and "everybody was yelling that it was a black cobra!" she said.

Chastity quickly topped that. "We were in our cabin and we saw a bear running past!" she said.

True. A mother and her cub took up residence last summer near the camp kitchen, where they foraged for leftovers. And the food is good, agreed Isaiah, 14, and Chastity.

"The fries are bangin'," Isaiah said. "I like those sausages!" Chastity said.

Moss Hollow installed bear-proof dumpsters, and so far this year no one has seen the bear.

The four said they couldn't wait for a repeat of nighttime pillow fights, flashlight games and campfires -- the stuff of camp life and memories.

Moss Hollow's director, Hope Asterilla, likes to tell her campers to take a piece of the Hollow home with them. And while camp songs certainly make the trip back to the city, life lessons make the transition as well. As the Mack group's eldest camper, Isaiah was eager to share what he has learned over the years.

Learning to dive probably tops the list, but he said he has also learned that you don't need television for entertainment and that being at camp during the summer is a matter of self-preservation.

"In the city, there's nothing to do so there's time to make trouble," he said with a wise look.

How to Help

Thanks to all who have contributed to Send a Kid to Camp; we've collected $145,194.81. But, folks, this campaign lasts only four more weeks. I hope that more of you will help us make our goal of $475,000 so that as many kids as possible can experience Moss Hollow.

The camp would be a treat for any child. For many of those who go there, it is essential for their future success. "Miss Hope" and her staff are on a mission to convince these children that life doesn't have to be a whirlwind of action, that we can all reach deep inside, learn to sit still and listen to the natural world.

So, please send a check or money order payable to "Send a Kid to Camp," P.O. Box 96237, Washington, D.C. 20090-6237.

Or contribute online by going to http://www.washingtonpost.com/camp. You'll see a place to make a donation. Click there.

To give via MasterCard or Visa by phone, call 202-334-5100 and follow the instructions.