Gaining a new outlook in the mountains

Only a few months ago, the lazy days of summer were beginning to bum Harman Sorocu out.

“I hope that camp will cheer me up,” he told staff members at his after-school program, which is run by Camp Fire USA Orange County Council. Workers from the organization recall that Harman expressed the desire to head outdoors, where he might gain inspiration through a different view.

It seems to have worked. After one week in new surroundings, Harman says, his woes were gone. If anything, it was transitioning from the woods back to Tustin that proved jarring.

“I felt like, ‘Whoa, this is all kind of new to me,’ ” the 13-year-old says of his return to the home he shares with his parents. “I’d been in the mountains for a long time. The time passed by really slowly during the week because things were so fun, and I took advantage of paying attention to everything around me.”

In July, Harman was one of 55 middle schoolers who took over the campgrounds in Barton Flats rented by the Camp Fire USA Orange County Council, which encourages youth development through its after-school, arts, family and camping programs.

Kids maintain a busy schedule at camp -- from youth development workshops to activities such as low ropes, canoeing and capture the flag.

“I really liked archery because I’d really wanted to try it. I’d never done it before, and I got near a bull’s-eye,” Harman says. “We also did a lot of skits, and my group’s was about a cougar looking for chocolate. It was just silly but a lot of fun.”

Eighty percent of the campers come from the Camp Fire Council’s after-school program in two Orange County districts, in which at least 50% of the young people qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.

“These are kids that would never have the opportunity to go to camp unless they came with us,” says Michelle Pelliccino, associate director of the council’s after-school program.

“Camp definitely has an impact on all of our youth in the change that happens within their self-confidence and their leadership and communication skills,” Pelliccino says.

“Middle school is such a difficult time period, but we choose to focus on the age group that’s been deemed taboo,” he says. “So many organizations don’t want to focus on them because they think this age is too difficult or has behavioral problems, but we see the greatest need for the age group.”

“I just wanted to get away from everything, away from all the pollution,” Harman says of his reason for wanting to attend camp. “And it was so fun, except for this one night when we had this black bear right in front of the mess hall. One time, we saw one near the basketball court looking through the dumpster too. At first, it scared me, but they weren’t going to attack anyone. And now it’s a cool story to tell.”

Camp Fire USA Orange County Council is one of 60 organizations receiving financial support this year through the Los Angeles Times Summer Camp Campaign. More than 8,000 underprivileged children will go to camp this summer, thanks to $1.5 million raised last year.

The annual fundraising campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, which this year will match the first $1.1 million in contributions at 50 cents on the dollar.

Donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call (213) 237-5771. To make donations by credit card, go to latimes.com/summercamp. To send checks, use the attached coupon. Do not send cash. Unless requested otherwise, gifts of $50 or more will be acknowledged in The Times.

amy.kaufman@latimes.com