She Craves a Break From Loneliness

Rose copes with the chaos, noise and clutter of her apartment by seeking comfort in food, sometimes devouring a whole package of Oreos in her room.

The 10-year-old, who wears large adult-size clothing and shoes, lives with her single mother, whose mild mental disability makes it difficult for her to keep track of daily household chores and to address Rose’s weight problem constructively.

Then there are the frequent house guests who stay for long periods of time.

“People tend to take advantage, and they show up and sleep on the couch or the floor,” said Mary Robertson, the service coordinator for a San Gabriel Valley area center that assists the family and teaches the mother parenting and independent-living skills.

The guests sometimes force Rose out of her room, and she has to sleep on the sofa. The fifth-grader often responds by tuning out and watching television or videos--and eating.

“She knows she has to work on her weight,” said her 34-year-old mother, who supports three children with disability benefits. “Rose knows she should exercise.”

Rose believes she is having a hard time measuring up physically because of her weight, and mentally because she is in special education classes. In the past, she has taken medication for depression.

“She is being told by her mother that she is not like other people, and she is kind of a loner because she is a lot bigger than other kids in her class,” said Robertson, who hopes that a week at Stanley Ranch Woodcraft Rangers camp will give the child a much-needed break.

When Rose returned from camp last year, she told stories about new friends and the walks she took at the Castaic Lake camp. She already has her sleeping bag ready and is looking forward to going back to see friends she made last summer.

“She doesn’t tend to do a lot of activities outside the home, except for school,” said Robertson.

“This was a really positive experience.”

Every year since 1954, readers and employees of The Times have sent thousands of needy children to summer camp. This year more than 11,000 children will experience a special summer, thanks to the $1.6 million raised last year.

The average cost of sending a child to camp for a week is $150. This year, the McCormick Tribune Foundation will match the first $1.2 million in contributions at 50 cents on the dollar.

Checks should be sent to: L.A. Times Summer Camp Campaign, File No. 56984, Los Angeles, CA 90074-6984. For more information, call (213) 237-5771. To make credit card donations, visit www.latimes.com/summercamp. Do not send cash.

All donations are tax-deductible. Unless donors request otherwise, gifts of $25 or more are acknowledged in The Times. The summer camp campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation.