The actual cooks at my camp were adults who were on staff with the camp, but they didn't live on site. They also had teenage kids (too old to be campers anymore) who would work as helpers, and they would assist at meal time, and other tasks as needed around the camp. They earned a weekly wage and slept in special quarters, not on the floor. They also had lots of downtime, so it was a great gig for a teenager looking for a summer job.