When Devin Chavez gets to spend time in the Santa Cruz mountains, he loves to hone his archery skills.

"(I like it) because I'm part Indian and I like getting in touch with my culture, and I've always liked archery," said the eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School.

Chavez, 13, will get a chance to do this again at the end of June when he and 40 other kids from Selma head to the Salvation Army's Camp Redwood Glen for five days.

Nestled in the Santa Cruz mountain range near Loma Mar, Camp Redwood Glen offers low-income kids from Selma a great experience, according to Cindy Jaccard, service director for the Selma Salvation Army. The camp will be from June 25-30.

"It's to help children who may not have a chance to get to camp, (and) to have them meet new friends," she said.

Jaccard Kids also learn about basic living skills as well as becoming more in touch with their spirituality. The latter of which is a big part of the camp, she said.

"I think it's really important (for them) to get a foundation with the Lord," Jaccard said.

On a given day at the camp, kids will participate in a variety of activities including swimming, bible lessons, hiking, music, crafts, canoeing and rock climbing, Jaccard said. They'll also be joined by more than 300 other kids from Central California and the Bay Area who're participating in the same program.

Of the 40 Selma kids slated to attend camp, 35 of them are between the ages of 7 and 12 and will attend the youth camp. The five other kids, ages 13 to 16, will be attend a teen camp.

While the younger campers will stay on the grounds of Camp Redwood Glen, the teens will head out into the wilderness to camp and learn survival skills, Jaccard said.

As far as funding for the trip, in the past, the Selma Salvation Army has relied on fundraisers to pay for the cost. So far, the group has secured funding -- through things like candy sales and bake sales -- to send eight to 10 kids to the camp.

Still, the Selma Salvation Army is currently lacking enough volunteers to hold more fundraisers.

Because of this, Jaccard is looking for help from either local businesses or residents of Selma, she said. Specifically, Jaccard is looking for someone to financially sponsor a student to go to the camp.

It would cost $195 to sponsor a child for the youth camp and $250 to sponsor a child for the teen camp. But Jaccard also said that if a child who wants to go isn't sponsored, the Selma Salvation will find a way to fund their trip, perhaps through a future fundraiser.

For those attending the camp, money is not the issue in which they're interested.

"You get a different horizon of culture," said Chavez, the eigth-grader intending to hone his archery skills.

This will be Chavez' third time attending Camp Redwood Glen and he said he's learned much during those trips, especially about his religious beliefs.

"I've learned that your faith is stronger than your physical strength," he said.

For Michael Torrez, a sixth-grader at Eric White Elementary, going to the camp means learning a lot -- whether it's about outdoor activities or his faith. Among his favorite activities are archery and learning about God.

"You get to go to church everyday and it's pretty cool," he said.

This will be the third year Torrez has been to the camp. He will be joined by his two brothers: Joseph, an eigth-grader at Lincoln Middle School and Warren, a fourth-grader at Eric White Elementary.

Those interested in helping sponsor a child may contact Cindy Jaccard at 891-0811.