Urban Roots adds medical staff for in-person programs

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Protecting your kids while they learn about where their food comes from. Urban Roots is adding a medical team to its summer camps after the pandemic halted last year’s program.

“It’s a combination of education and community health for five to 13 year olds and it teaches them how to garden, how to think about healthy choices and food eating, and how to correctly take care of their compost and garbage,” Davin Fertitta, Urban Roots Camp Nurse said.

To ensure everyone’s wellbeing, the nonprofit welcomed new medical staff volunteers like Davin Fertitta, a UNR student studying medicine.

Fertitta added, “It’s a lot easier on our camp educators because, in previous years, they’ve had to do it all. They’ve had to do bandaids, wipe down wounds, help kids stay healthy, and it’s a lot easier for them to focus on the other kids and the camp, whereas I can just specifically help scraped knees and bumps and bruises.”

When children arrive at the farm, Fertitta helps check temperatures and makes sure they’re showing no signs of the Coronavirus.

“We’re helping parents ease their minds through COVID and making sure their kids stay healthy at the camp with other campers around them.”

So what happens if a student has symptoms?

“We’ll call the parents and make sure they get their child picked up within an hour, and then we sanitize every area where those children have been and everyone that that kid has been in contact with,” Fertitta said, “They have to let us know whether it’s a positive or a negative test, and if it’s negative, they can come back to camp that day or the next day, but if it’s positive, we have to wait until we do get a negative sign from them.”

Urban Roots bases its safety measures for staff and kids on Washoe County’s level of spread.

Fertitta added, “Right now because the transmission rate is moderate, all kids within three feet of each other have to be wearing masks, but past that or in certain water games, they’re off.”

Fertitta says it’s a vital role he’s honored to be in so that kids can continue learning to live a healthier lifestyle.

“I get sad to see kids hurt but I love to see kids finally happy.”

Currently, the remaining summer camps are full, but you can still help the organization thrive through its at-home gardening kit sales for kids and adults. Volunteers are also needed.

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