St. Vincent de Paul Society volunteer George Chippendale holds a basket of vegetables from the Hidden Villa farm in Los Altos Hills, which hosts day and overnight summer camps for kids.

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Helping children get away from it all
SCHOLARSHIPS LET POOR KIDS EXPERIENCE SUMMER CAMP

ellen Moore remembers meeting George Chippendale because it was a moment that changed her life. The East Palo Alto woman who is raising her seven grandchildren was at the St. Vincent de Paul Society to collect food coupons. She got much more.

George, who volunteers at the agency, also loves telling families about the magical summer programs for 6- to 18-year-olds at the Hidden Villa farm in Los Altos Hills. He figures that he's enlightened hundreds of potential campers about the program that offers scholarships to low-income and underprivileged kids who want to attend the day or overnight camps.

With her food coupons and the applications for summer camp in hand, Ellen applied for scholarships for six of her seven grandkids. The 3-year-old will have to wait a few more years before she can attend with her siblings.

The camperships all came through that first summer, and now, three years later, all six children have became devoted campers. They have learned about the environment and how important it is to protect their world, their grandmother says. They also have experienced what it feels like to love learning.

``They are so excited before they go,'' says Ellen, who hopes to send her family to camp again next summer if the scholarship money is available. ``They keep asking me, `Is it time to go?' It's the highlight of their year.''

It's the site itself that ``gets them turned on,'' says George, who has referred kids to the camp he knows can make a real difference in a child's life. ``It's the animals, the counselors. . . . Their eyes light up. This just changes the way they feel about life. It's worth every penny.''

Hidden Villa isn't the only place where kids' lives are changed through camp programs. At Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose, there are weeklong camps, sleepovers and one-day workshops. The Peninsula Humane Society offers its popular Animal Camp. The Youth Science Institute offers oodles of outdoor adventures.

Fees vary. Each donation of $100 (16A) will go toward building a fund to provide a variety of camp scholarships for young people.