Talbot Hospice is pleased to announce Camp Courageous, a new children’s bereavement camp designed for any youth, ages six to 12, who have experienced the loss of a loved one. This two-day camp will be held May 18 and 19 at the Talbot County Agricultural Center and there is space for 35 participants. Each child attends the camp at no cost to learn how to cope with the complex feelings of grief.
The goal of the camp is to provide an opportunity for children to process their losses in a healthy, peer supported environment via a curriculum of activities and therapeutic practices designed to teach children about themselves and the grief they are experiencing. Together, campers will discover ways to cope, realize they are a valuable member of the group and work together to overcome challenges ahead. The camp will also provide grief education, support, and resources to parents and families and help strengthen the family unit as they process the loss together.
Talbot Hospice Bereavement Coordinator Becky DeMattia will lead the camp along with other specially trained staff and volunteers. “We have planned a number of activities that will help children work through some of the feelings they experience surrounding the loss of someone significant in their lives,” said Becky. “We want children to feel safe expressing their feelings, to have some fun while together and, hopefully, walk away feeling lighter and understanding how to use newly found coping skills.”
At Camp Courageous, children will laugh, cry, talk together about their losses, share emotions, and learn healthy ways to deal with the feelings that accompany grief. Camp Courageous is offered free of charge, thanks in part to a generous donation from the Bryan Brothers Foundation. Talbot Hospice and Camp Courageous rely on the generosity of the community to provide a safe place for children to grieve.
For more information about Camp Courageous, contact Becky DeMattia at 410-822-6681 or bdemattia@talbothospice.org.