Inside Kamp Joy’s 20-year mission

On this episode of Matter of Fact, host Sami Jordan takes listeners to Perry County, where Kamp Joy is marking 20 years of helping children and families better understand and manage their emotions. The program began in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and has grown into a long-running community resource focused on emotional awareness, trauma support and life skills.

This episode looks at how Kamp Joy works, who it serves and why programs like it matter in communities where children may be dealing with stress at home, at school or in their daily lives. Listeners will hear how founder Tina Brown built the program, how it expanded over time and how former participants say its impact has stretched across generations.

The episode also includes a behind-the-reporting conversation with RHCJC News reporter Bibhas Pantha about covering a story centered on emotional health and trust, along with a What Is True? segment on why context and fact-based reporting matter when covering childhood trauma and early intervention programs.