Macon Magazine

96 maconmagazine.com | August/September 2025 contracts. This is then distilled into easy-to-follow weekly plans for staff. All this process takes time to organize. "By February," Allen says, "summer camp is knocking on the door. We post job listings, line up vendors, and finalize our six-week curriculum." Since the camps are so valuable to working parents, the information gets around even with little to no formal marketing. Walker adds: "Registration opens April 1 at 12:01 a.m., and several sites fill up within hours. Sometimes, it's crashing the system with demand." Social-media announcements reinforce word-of-mouth buzz, but "we could probably go without recruiting – it still fills," he laughs. CATCHING COUNSELORS Running eight camps and serving 900 kids requires about 150 people: a mix of full-time recreation staff, part-time aides, and seasonal hires. "We recruit paraprofessionals, schoolteachers looking for summer work, and people passionate about kids," Allen explains. Each candidate goes through orientation and in-service training to align with program goals and must pass the stringent background requirements to work with children. Behind the logistics are countless moments of growth and joy. Allen remembers YouthUp's anger workshops most vividly: "One child wrote that he learned to handle peer pressure. Just six weeks, and we saw that transformation. They take it home, share it with siblings." Walker, too, cherishes small triumphs: "Seeing shy kids blossom into talent-show stars – that confidence sticks with them." IT TAKES A VILLAGE "With 900 kids, challenges are inevitable," Walker admits. "Kids are kids. We set clear 'dos and don'ts,' "It takes a vision. I plan programs based on what the community wants—academics, financial literacy, reading, and more—so kids can enhance those skills outside school time." ABOVE LEFT Students get in a basketball game at L.H. Williams Rec Center. ABOVE RIGHT Students get some pool time in during a hot day at Memorial Park.

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