Camps for Grieving Families - You have questions. We have answers.

Camps for Grieving Children
You have questions. We have answers.

Across the country camp programs are helping grieving families. The NAGC brings together experienced “campers” to share knowledge and best practices to offer grieving families choices that work for them. NAGC members want to share with you what has worked for them and what obstacles they have overcome.

Here are some questions you may have:

What are the different models of grief camps?
What goes on at camp?
Only one weekend a year, how does that help?
Is recruiting and training volunteers different for a camp?
How does an activity from once a year impact the rest of the year?
Can you add a camp to a bereavement program without burning out your staff?
Is fundraising different for a camp?
What’s different about a camp setting than a program setting?
Family camps or child-only camps?
Is it hard to get kids to go to a sleepover camp after a loss? Or, is it harder for a parent to allow their child to go to a sleepover camp after a loss?
What’s a good length for a camp? Does it vary by age?

Our members represent a range of camp offerings and have wisdom to share. For example,

TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, based in Washington, DC) uses camps to bring together children from military families to address this special population.

Fernside (based in Cincinnati, OH) offers an overnight summer camp for children and teens. They have found a way to balance and integrate a camp with their other offerings to make it an effective part of what they do.

Camp Erin, from the Moyer Foundation, partners around the country with bereavement programs to offer a weekend camp. This collaborative model brings national resources to local programs. Connections with Major League Baseball through the Moyer family have raised awareness about child bereavement.

Comfort Zone Camp is the nation’s largest bereavement camp. Through their camps and their on-line Hello Grief program, they are building a network of volunteers and camp alumni all over the US and internationally.

Camp Sol (based in Dallas, TX) brings together a grieving family after the death of a child and uses expressive arts and music therapy in their family camp and retreat programs. This camp helps families learn how to have fun again, together.

At the 14^th Annual National Alliance for Grieving Children Symposium, we’re bringing together these experienced “campers” to share their knowledge. To answer your specific questions from the people who have been there, we’re going to have a dynamic, interactive panel discussion on grief camps. Chris Park, President of the New York Life Foundation, will moderate this panel. Grief camps are a focus of the foundation’s philanthropy.

Learn more about the 14^th Annual National Alliance for Grieving Children Symposium to be held June 24 through 26, 2010, in Cleveland, OH.

Continue the conversation and learn more.

Have all your questions answered by staying the rest of Saturday for the first ever National Bereavement Camp Conference hosted by the Moyer Foundation. You’ll get in-depth information on bereavement camps such as:

Innovative program models
Resident camp activities
Overall camp structures
Fun/unique ideas for activities and camp sessions
Fundraising, public relations and marketing

***Reminder***
The NAGC Board has called a special election to fill an open Board position.
Voting will take place from May 3-7, 2010, and is open to all NAGC members.
Click here for more information.

We look forward to seeing you in Cleveland! Register now!

Symposium Committee
The National Alliance for Grieving Children