Employees in Action: Paul Emmett
Life for children after foster care isn’t easy — 50% do not complete high school, 45% are unemployed, and 33% get arrested. Paul Emmett, senior IT manager at Symetra, is trying to change those statistics. Emmett is the director of the Royal Family Kids Camp of Issaquah, a one week overnight camp designed to meet the unique and overwhelming needs of abused and neglected foster children.
Royal Family Kids’ Camps is a national organization with more than 160 camps across the country. Twelve years ago, Emmett helped start the camp in Issaquah, Wash., to serve struggling foster kids in
King County.
Each summer, for one week, 60 kids descend on the camp and take part in a wide variety of activities — from swimming to crafts to rock climbing. Because most of the campers have never celebrated their birthday, camp volunteers throw a big party for all the kids, complete with birthday cake and gifts. There’s even a surrogate “grandma” and “grandpa” to show them what it feels like to belong to a loving family.
“Our primary goal is to let the kids know people care about them,” says Emmett. “We hope to create positive experiences and memories that will contribute to a renewed sense of self-esteem and confidence.”
As director of the camp, Emmett is responsible for raising the important funds that keep the camp operating. He’s also tasked with finding the 70 volunteers it takes to run the camp, which includes camp counselors, psychologists, medical staff and activity coordinators.
“People often ask us if a week can make a difference,” says Emmett. “After 12 years of seeing how this camp positively impacts children, the answer is a resounding
“yes it can.’”