Camps For Bereaved Children

[MartyT]

Stepping Stones of Hope offers these announcements:

Our third Camp Erin will be held on July 11 - 13, 2008 at Spirit in the Desert Retreat in Carefree. The program focuses on the connection between mind, body and spirit. Camp Erin, named in honor of Erin Metcalf, who died of liver cancer at 17, is sponsored by The Moyer Foundation, founded by professional baseball player Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen. For more information or to register, please click here.

Our 17th Camp Paz, and second at the animal sanctuary Whispering Hope Ranch, will be held October 25th-26th, 2008. For more information or to register, please click here.

Both Camp Erin and Camp Paz offer simultaneous programs for children and the adults in their lives. Both Camps provide the opportunity for grieving children and adults to interact with peers in a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere where feelings are truly expected and validated. A 6-week family support group follows each weekend program.

[kath]

What a great resource, Marty!

In Minnesota, the funeral parlors sponsor Camp Amanda for children and teens. It was a wonderful weekend for my kids to connect with others that have lost a sibling, parent or grandparent. They also had a seminar for adults off-site that detailed how children respond to grief at different ages. They provided a lot of insight into what they were going through. For my children, it was an opportunity to see that they weren't the "only ones" that lost a parent. Their website can be found at http://www.campamandaminn.com/.