It was a quiet morning last week at The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center in southwest Modesto. The pool sparkled
peacefully. The pingpong tables were quiet. No shouts came from the foosball table.

All that changed when school let out for the day. And soon, even more children, teens and adults cheerfully will invade the
center when traditional summer vacation begins next week. About 40 students use the facility on a typical school day; that
figure jumps to about 300 during summer vacation.

"There are 160 kids allowed in the pool. It's a real hot spot in the neighborhood," said Terry Humphres, the center's program
director.

At 50 cents for a two-hour session for members and $1 for nonmembers, the pool is an inexpensive way to keep cool.
Membership, too, is affordable: $10 per year for children up to age 12, $13 for ages 13 to 18, $25 for adults, $40 for families and $9
for senior citizens.

The facilities and activities, and modest prices, are what attract people of all ages.

"We have a variety of kids who come," Humphres said. "Many come from right here in the neighborhood. Some come from
(other parts of) Modesto, others from Ceres.

"A lot of people think you have to be of a certain low income to come, but you don't. We have many medium-income families
here."

The pool is a big draw, as is day camp. That program, limited to 27 children a week, ages 6 to 12, runs year-round. It is especially
popular in the summer. The weeklong program includes two day trips to such places as Great America, waterslides, ice skating
rinks or bowling alleys -- for an all-inclusive price of $55.

When the students are not on a trip, they are having "structured fun," such as an hour in the pool or an hour in crafts.

The day camp program began as a way to help working parents when their children were off-track from school, but "it's a great
program even for moms who don't work," Humphres said. "Some (children) sign up all summer long."

Keeps bored children busy

Just hanging out at the center -- playing a game of pool, competing in board games or swimming, getting a snack -- is popular
with the children.

"Some come from homes with little supervision," Humphres said. "It's great for those kids; it gives them something to do."

The popularity of the center has been enhanced this past year with completion of a new wing. It contains a chapel, library,
nursery and classrooms that are used throughout the week.

Humphres attended the center as a teen-ager and returned to work there 17 years ago. She now has five children of her own and
knows the benefits of the center.

"The biggest advantage is probably character-building programs," she said. "The kids carry themselves well in the community
because of what they're taught here.

"I've seen kids in this neighborhood grow up. Some go astray, but some keep on track, often through sports. Who knows what
you can do with determination?"

Workers build bonds with kids

Humphres' office is full of pictures of children -- babies, boys and girls with huge smiles, teen boys in formal attire, Girl Guards in
uniform, athletic team photos. On the wall hangs a sign that reads: "Keep growing, Keep dreaming, Laugh some every day."

"I get very attached to (the children)," Humphres said. "If you give each one just a few minutes a day, it's amazing how
self-confident they get.

"If they feel no one cares, I care. I just love every kid. A lot of them call me 'Auntie Terry' because we become a part of their
family. Some grow up and come back and show me their babies. Or they will come back and say, 'Remember how we made rice (in
Girl Guides)? I made my first pot of rice last night.'"

Humphres knows the impact of the programs here. She relates the story of a family who moved to southwest Modesto with four
children -- a teen-age boy and three younger girls. The boy got involved with the teen programs.

"He's very responsible. He's married now and a wonderful young man. He could have gotten in with the wrong crowd. But
because of Teen Night, which develops character, it kept him right on track," Humphres said.

"The three girls got involved in swimming, then in junior lifeguards and then became lifeguards. All three have jobs as lifeguards
now. One is in Hawaii working for The Salvation Army there. It's great."




KIDS' DAY DETAILS

Kids' Day is right around the corner, on Tuesday, and a "corner" near you is where you will find a special Kids' Day edition of
The Bee.

The Tuesday event is a benefit for Salvation Army youth programs in Modesto and Turlock.

The special edition will sell for $1, with 75 cents of every dollar going to The Salvation Army.

Tuesday's newspaper will include the regular edition of The Bee, plus a separate section about the Red Shield Community Center
in south Modesto and the Turlock Corps Community Center. Volunteers will hawk the edition along busy thoroughfares.

The Salvation Army, The Bee and Coit have joined forces for the fund-raiser. Other sponsors are MOCSE Federal Credit Union,
KOVR Channel 13, KAT Country 103 FM, The Hawk 104.1 FM, Planet 95 and ESPN 970 AM.

People interested in helping with street sales are asked to call the Red Shield Community Center, 538-7111, or the Turlock Corps,
667-6091.



Here are details on some of the Red Shield Community Center's programs for children and teens:

OPERATION GET SMART -- An after-school tutoring program to help children with their schoolwork.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS -- Adventure Club Explorers for boys in grades 1-4, Adventure Club Rangers for boys in grades 5-8,
Sonbeam Girls Club for grades 1-5 and Girl Guards club for ages 12-16. The clubs feature instruction on such topics as cooking,
car repair, lawn mowing and photography, as well as activities such as hiking and swimming. Club members also work toward
earning badges, similar to Scout badge programs.

TEEN NIGHT -- Fridays, 8-11 p.m. Teens meet at the center for structured activities, such as pool relays, scavenger hunts,
speakers and obstacle courses. The goal is to offer character building and fun alternatives. The teens are driven home at the end
of the evening.

NIGHT HOOPS -- Saturdays, 5 p.m. to midnight. Ages 8 to adult. (Adults play next door at Hanshaw Middle School). Pickup
teams compete. Night Hoops is co-sponsored by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

SUMMER CAMPS -- Run throughout the summer at The Salvation Army's Camp Redwood Glen in Scotts Valley. Wilderness
Camp is offered as an alternative for teens. The actual cost is $180 per boy or girl, but the charge is only $20, with the rest
subsidized by other sources.

ATHLETIC TEAMS -- Some, like baseball, compete in city leagues. Others play in-house. Sports teams include softball, flag
football, basketball and volleyball.

SWIMMING LESSONS AND JUNIOR LIFEGUARD CLASSES -- Also, the Red Shield Center has sponsored 15 teen-agers for
full lifeguard training through the American Red Cross.

Those sponsorships come from money raised in the Kids' Day benefit. Other Kids' Day money has gone to purchase pool
covers, a swimming pool slide and summer activity supplies.

The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center is at 1649 Las Vegas St., Modesto. For more information, call 538-7111.

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