For about two weeks in the middle of March Dallas feels like a ghost town. It seems just about everyone (and sometimes their dogs) are on fabulous spring break vacations. During this time Instagram feeds overflow with photos from the beaches of Mexico, the slopes of Colorado or the long lines at Disney World.
But for Dallas' homeless children the stark difference between their lives and the lives of their more fortunate classmates couldn't feel any farther apart.
That's what Dallas based non-profit Hope Supply Co. continues to put on "Cowboy Camp" every spring break. The three day adventure takes 70 homeless children from across Dallas and gives them a trip of their own filled with fun and adventure.
Campers like 7-year-old Cameron Johnson spent spring break on ropes courses, conquering any fears of heights and sailing through the air on a rope swing thirty feet in the sky.
"I feel like superman," Johnson said.
This year's event was at Camp Lebanon near Cedar Hill. The children range in age from 7-years-old to high school. Camp counselors spend time with the kids, creating relationships that can last for years.
Current counselor Cameron Hernandez went to similar camps as a child. His family wasn't homeless but they relied on vacation bible schools and sponsored camps to give Hernandez experiences he may not otherwise afford.
"I understand these kids so I have a connection in that way," Hernandez said.
He says his time at camp as a child changed his life. The 19-year-old is now enrolled in college and dreams of opening his own camp to help children just like him.
"It really is life changing. To leave all the stress of home and come to a place where you can be yourself is so freeing," Hernandez said.
He hopes the children at "Cowboy Camp" will feel the same. And maybe one day they'll become counselors too, paying forward to children who need an escape.