Hospice of VNS' 4th Annual Camp Promise
The fourth annual Camp Promise was held June 15 – 17, 2009. The camp is for
children ages 6-11 who have experienced a significant loss in their lives, such
as a parent, grandparent or sibling. This year 36 children attended the camp.
The children learned to manage and understand their grief through creative
activities such as craft-making, music, drama, and play therapy. The camp also
gave the children an opportunity to interact with others their age experiencing
the same issues and learn that they aren’t alone. The children attend camp at no
cost thanks to the generosity of many sponsors, including the Premier Sponsor,
Westminster Presbyterian Church. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s camp
possible.
Please check back in spring 2010 for details on next year’s camp.
Please visit our Grief Education and Grief Support pages for details on current
bereavement support programs.
“When you play with new friends and do sandtray therapy, the sad feelings
don’t bug you.”
“I learned in the sand tray that sharing my feelings took my stress away.”
-Camp Promise participant comments
What will the kids do all day?
Creative stations will be set up on site to allow the children to express and
process their grief reactions through play.
The death of a loved one can be an overwhelming event for anyone. Children will
learn to manage and understand their significant loss through creative play.
Who will watch over the children?
A staff of experienced bereavement professionals will oversee the children as
they go through the creative stations.
Guidelines for Helping Children who Grieve
Oftentimes, we hesitate to talk about death especially with young children
or adolescents…
…but without the courage to talk openly and freely we greatly limit our
ability to help.
- Parents, communicate to your children that they can openly express the feelings
they have when a loved one dies.
- Parents, remember children communicate their thoughts and feelings according to
their particular stage of development.
- Children also process their grief in “bite size” pieces over time. They may
mourn the death of a parent, grandparent, or someone the child was close to, on
and off for several years.