Posted July 24, 2025
DOORWAYS | 1101 N. Jefferson Avenue | St. Louis MO 63106
2025 Camp Kaya Provides Summer Fun for Nearly Two Dozen Children Residing in the Mama-Kay Family Residential Complex
From Monday, July 14, to Friday, July 18, 2025, approximately 20 children ranging in age from four to 15 enjoyed the educational and fun activities and presentations offered by Camp Kaya.
St. Louis, MO – For more than 16 years, the children living at the DOORWAYS Mama/Kaya Family Complex have looked forward to one cherished tradition: Camp Kaya. This week-long summer camp, hosted by our Residential Housing Program team and dedicated volunteers, welcomed children ages 4 to 15 for a joyful blend of learning, creativity, and play. Each day began with a shared breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by a full schedule of engaging activities.
Highlights included hands-on science experiments with Nitro Joe; a petting zoo featuring goats, donkeys, and chickens; and pony rides. Campers also enjoyed active games like frisbee, kickball, and water balloon fun to beat the summer heat. Their creative sides flourished through salt painting, crafting friendship bracelets, and tie-dyeing t-shirts. Lunchtime offered a chance to refuel before the afternoon program, and each day ended with a snack.
On the final day, the 2025 campers received a backpack filled with school supplies—sparking excitement for the upcoming school year and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.
We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers who made this week possible, including the team from Wells Fargo and more than 10 individual volunteers, such as the Saint Louis University students from Hopeful Horizons. Their time, energy, and kindness made a lasting impression on both the children and our staff.
The Residential Housing Program’s Mama/Kaya Complex is home to program participants with children. While DOORWAYS does not directly serve children, we seek to create stability and offer enriching resources for even our youngest residents. The Residential Housing Program fosters a circle of care for everyone living within our buildings, supporting children year-round—not only through summer camp, but also with after-school tutoring during the academic year. These tutoring sessions are made possible thanks to volunteers from local universities.
If you would like more information about becoming a DOORWAYS volunteer, please visit our volunteer page.
ABOUT DOORWAYS
Founded in 1988, DOORWAYS provides housing and 360 degrees of wrap-around services to people at the intersection of poverty, homelessness, and illness from HIV. Each year, we serve approximately 3,000 clients and family members in 124 counties spread across Missouri and Illinois. Expanding over the years to meet growing depth and breadth of need, DOORWAYS evolved from a hospice caring for the dying to an agency building lives for the living. We currently own 11 buildings with 219 apartments offering five housing platforms—emergency housing, flexible housing, assistive housing for those too ill to live independently, permanent housing, and, to prevent homelessness for people in their own accommodations, rent/utility subsidies.
Housing is supplemented by empowerment services to build the social determinants of health (housing, health, food security, employment/income, education, community, etc.) that are needed to advance towards a life of opportunity and independence. We use individualized case management, resource referrals, self-development programming, employment support, behavioral health counseling, and psychiatric care. To remove barriers to essential resources, we have arranged to have a BOCA Pharmacy and a Key Clinic on campus. Both are open to anyone in the community who wishes to use these services. Pairing a clinic next to a pharmacy strengthens the circle of care.
Through this mix of services to stabilize housing, health, and hope, clients begin their journey toward a more self-directed life. Once housed and linked with their care coordinator, clients are encouraged to comply with an HIV-medication regimen that can help them attain undetectable status. When HIV is undetectable, life span and quality of life improve for the individual. Additionally, undetectable means untransmittable (U=U), stopping new cases–opening the door to ending HIV in future generations.
For more information, please review this website or contact the agency at info@doorwayshousing.orgs
Photos from the
DOORWAYS 2025 Camp Kaya.
