Camp Good Grief—August 27th, 28th, and 29th, 2010
In its 10th year, Camp Good Grief is a free-to-participants weekend peer-support bereavement camp for up to 50 children ages 8-13 who have experienced the death of a loved one. Camp is scheduled for the last weekend of August. Facilitated by 25 professional and trained volunteer camp leaders, campers attend a 2-night, 3-day camp. The campers participate in a variety of activities including camp fires; rock climbing; games; arts and crafts; and other activities designed to encourage and promote healing. Camp Good Grief assists children in understanding the finality of death, allows them to experience and express the feelings associated with the death of their loved one, and encourages them to continue living in their "new normal."
Camp Good Grief provides a setting that is safe for children to learn how to adjust in their lives as a result of the death of a loved one. Children have some concentrated time to discover their individual coping skills and to practice new skills as they continue to reinvest into positive lives. Camp can provide a decreased sense of isolation and the feeling that they are the only person in the world that is experiencing these thoughts and emotions. Children return from camp with stronger and/or improved skills and resources necessary to identify and express their emotions in positive ways, allowing them both respect and dignity in their personal grief journeys.
One of the weekend highlights is our letter writing activity. Throughout the course of the day, the children have time to write a letter to their loved one. This special letter is placed in an envelope with magical dust. The children take turns approaching the campfire, speaking about their loved one, and then tossing the letter into the fire. A Native American Legend tells the children that the smoke from the fire carries their message to their loved ones. A camp leader commented, "The bonding of the kids with each other, it is just so nice to watch them grow, it's almost metamorphic."
Each year we plant a tree at the camp in memory of the loved ones who have died. It is a very touching ceremony and one of our facilitators noticed that three children, who had attended camp in previous years, went to "check on" the trees they planted before. Although this might seem like a simple gesture, the impact of honoring and remembering a loved one is so critical for a grieving child.
On our last night, each child lights a candle in a luminary and releases it to float across the pond. Not only is it a beautiful sight to see, but for some, this activity is very therapeutic and an important walk on their grief journey. "Watching one young teenage boy comfort another teenage boy on the waterfront during the luminary ceremony spoke volumes about the healing that takes place here, these children, through their grief, are becoming compassionate people."
At the end of the weekend, we have a butterfly release. Each child has a small box and releases a butterfly in honor of their loved one- "As you release this butterfly in honor of me, know that I'm with you and will always be, Now fly away butterfly as high as you can go, I'm right here with you, more than you know." And as a group walked away from this meaningful activity, a little boy reached out to a volunteer facilitator, touched his hand, and as the volunteer leaned over to listen to him, the boy simply said, "Thanks for spending time with us." Children who are grieving not only need time to grieve and a place to grieve, but they need someone by their side while they grieve. Camp Good Grief provides all of these opportunities for a child.
What our campers say:
"Camp was so fun so I am happy"
"Awesome and amazing"
"Wish we could stay here longer"
"I got to meet new people and talk about my loved one"
"I loved camp!"
"I thought it would be too sad. Sometimes it was. But I had a lot of fun too."
"It made me feel good that other kids feel kind of like I do."
"Can I come back next year?"
Camp Good Grief is held at Camp Potawatomi which is one of eight branches of the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. The camp is approximately one hour north of Fort Wayne set on a seventy-acre no-wake lake and 210 acres of woodlands, wetlands and fields. Founded in 1920, Camp Potawatomi has a proud tradition of serving children of Northeast Indiana and the surrounding tri-state area.
This resident camp setting offers the perfect environment to provide a 24-hour living experience, where a grieving child has numerous opportunities to make new friends and try new activities – creating memories that will last a lifetime. Camp Good Grief is inclusive, welcoming children and families regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or family income. There are no geographical boundaries, and many families drive more than an hour to participate in camp.
And as staff and volunteers at Camp, we have been moved, surprised, delighted, tired, achy, but always grateful. We know we have made a difference in lives of the grieving children in our community. We hope that you will join us, please contact Cindy by email at cindy@erinshouse.org or by phone at 260-423-2466.
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes
it has gone through to achieve that beauty. —Maya Angelou
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Programming also available in Spanish.