TAMPA, Fla. — Morgan Melia never liked little kids very much.
"Not at all," she said with a sly smile.
But the 16-year-old from Steinbrenner High had a change of heart lately.
"Kind Camp has shown me that little kids are honestly amazing," she said.
Kind Camp, which gets loud and happy at Slam! Tampa in Citrus Park, is the signature event of Keys to Kindness, a Tampa nonprofit that teaches kids that caring about your community is cool.
"I love seeing kids have a platform to give back and get excited about something," said founder Sharri Cagle, who started the program several years ago and has seen her mission grow in big beautiful ways.
At Kind Camp, older kids (Big Buddies, who get community service hours) and wee ones (Little Buddies), multiple generations of kindness, team up to help each other (learning manners) and help the area (stuffing care packages and coloring pictures for teachers, cancer patients, military and more).
Keys to Kindness is a year-round endeavor, though, so it's always a good time to join the mission. Volunteers, donations and more are always needed.
As for Morgan Melia, she said Keys to Kindness can soften up even the most jaded teen.
"It brings out my soft side," she said. "It really does."
For more information on Keys to Kindness and Kind Camp, click here.
