After 20 months of separation, quarantine, and zoom calls, we finally had an opportunity to move Onward at an in-person camp. The power of Camp Kate is being able to be with peers who help us move forward in our grief journeys. For this first camp in two years, we returned to Camp Westminster with an Onward theme.
We started our year with a treat for our campers. We offered a double dose of fun, especially our three youngest groups. Many of them participated in Healing Hearts Through the Arts last fall and did improvisation with Jenni Caruso, theatre teacher and director of Conyers Wizards of Odd Improv troupe. We thought an improv show for children would be fun, and The Munchkin Show was born.
Like our campers, many Disney characters have experienced the death of a loved one. Each works through the stages of grief with family, friends and peer support.
Using Simba’s grief journey as a theme, campers and counselors explored the challenges of “life not being fair,” running from pain, remembering loved ones, accepting one’s loss then learning from it, and moving forward.
Using creativity as a way to discuss and process grief, our summer event brought Bambi, Simba & Harry campers to Olde Town Conyers for an afternoon of art, music and drama. Conducted by professionals in each discipline, campers thought about their loved ones as they participated in a rotation of creative healing activities. Campers talked about, and then designed and painted ceramic memory boxes to reflect that loved one’s personality.
Sometimes it’s nice just to get out of the house and hang out with friends. Cody, leader of our Hiro group thought so, too. His group, named for Hiro Hamada a character in Disney’s Big Hero 6, is for young adults aged 19 -25. Because its members either work or are in college, they have more flexibility and independence than our younger groups, and are more able to get together outside of a camp setting.
When you hear the word “camp” you usually picture the outdoors. After four years of mostly indoor activities, we moved our program outdoors to Camp Westminster in Rockdale County. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, the woods were beautiful, and the air smelled fresh. What a great day we had in store!
Ice Days in Conyers was gracious to host us again, and we had a super crowd of campers with us. Outside of our twice-a-year spring and fall camps, this skating event is a wonderful opportunity for new families to join Camp Kate in a strictly fun activity. Whether they interact with other campers or just skate with their families, they still have become part of our camp family.
Holidays are particularly difficult for families who are grieving a loved one, whether this is the 1st or the 8th year. Traditions change and memories made may never be as joyful when someone is missing from the picture. Having experience with this emptiness, we heard about the decorations at Chimney Park in Covington and saw an opportunity for something different with our families.
Did you ever notice how many superheroes wear masks or disguises? It might be to hide or protect their true identity, or to hide who they really are without it. Sometimes, it’s to protect their loved ones or themselves from their own vulnerabilities.
We enticed campers with the promise of our next camp being “magical.” And it would be. But, there is nothing magic in helping campers and families. Much of the healing comes from within, but it does need support from others. However those grieving don’t always find empathy because of the “elephant in the room.” That thing that people see, but don’t want to acknowledge or talk about; death, sadness or sorrow. Some expect us to be “over it” or “back to normal” when they feel the time is right. And what we often do is say that “we’re okay”, and put on a happy face to make them feel comfortable around us.
Sometimes four months is too long not to hang with fellow campers and counselors, and what better way to attract campers than to offer games, chips, soda and ice cream with toppings and whipped cream. We had 20 kids at the church for a couple of hours of fun, starting with a welcome circle where we shared a little about what each was doing. For the most part, though, it was snack and play!
The weather had been iffy a few days before our camp day, raining off and on. But since it was the last day of the rink’s season, we decided we’d still hold the event and see who showed up. As Jane put it, “The rain never bothered us anyway.” When we arrived at the rink, a couple of hardy families were already there. The air was a bit cool, drizzling a little, and there was a slight layer of water on the ice from the 1/3 that was not under the pavilion’s cover. We figured it would probably freeze in a while… but it didn’t.
Like Jo and Amy March in Little Women, Bruce Wayne, or Cinderella, there are many children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. Whether through illness or accident, observed or told, those who survive must carry on, overcome pain, change and difficult memories to move forward with their lives.
Camp started with donuts and cereal. A good way for families to bond in the morning. After our opening, groups scattered to connect in their welcome circles and first activity.
Our youngest groups painted hearts showing their emotions as different colors, and Bambi’s used pictures of themselves blowing kisses (hearts) up to heaven. Others used colored sand (to represent emotions) to fill small bottles.
The benefits of horseback riding and being around horses goes back to the ancient Greeks. Today, Equine Relationship Therapy also known as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a program that focuses on relationships, and uses horses as a tool to enhance behavioral, relational, emotional, and spiritual growth.
Our fall campers created “Who Am I?” figures and, with their parents help, leaves representing loved ones for our Tree of Life. Later they worked together to build luminary boxes for the evening’s Memory Walk at dusk. Lori’s theme was “We are all broken,” which led to a discussion of “I am not alone in the grief I feel,” and a look at the five stages of grief including denial, anger, depression, and acceptance.
We started camp with 40 campers and their families, and 50+ volunteers enjoying breakfast courtesy of the Waffle House. After a hearty meal, campers split by group and we introduced our welcome circle. In this, counselors model our desired behavior by wrapping yarn around their wrists as they state their name and who died. (It’s important that we say “died” rather than using “lost” or another euphemism which could be misleading.)
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, and if someone has made ice, you should go skate on it. So, for a change of pace and another opportunity for camps to get together with others, we hosted a skating party for any camper who was available at the Ice Days rink in Olde Town Conyers. The afternoon was warm and whether skaters were experienced or novices, they had a great time in the rink.
From the beginning, we didn’t know how often we’d host camps, but Phil impressed with the success of the first camp, and Jane’s work, suggested we hold them, maybe twice a year. So, the next planned date, one day before Kate’s birthday, was selected. Months away, it was also something to ponder, especially since camp would be at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Conyers.
When you may not have a camp for a few months, but still want campers to be connected and feel that we care about them, you offer free ice cream. And we did!
With 28 potential campers, a staff of 40+, food, activities, and balloons standing by, Jane and her volunteers awaited campers and parents at the Montesorri School in Covington.
Daughter, sister, aunt, she was also a niece, granddaughter, friend, teacher, youth leader and Sunday school teacher. She loved her family and living at home with her parents and sister and best friend, Hannah, even though she had a big girl job as a teacher.
At age 14, Kate was diagnosed with a tumor that baffled the medical community. Benign, it still presented a complicated picture for treatment. But, after two years of difficult medical and personal challenges, Kate returned to school full time in her senior year, graduated with honors and focused on becoming an elementary school teacher. Graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia in December 2007, she finally secured a job as a fourth grade teacher. She began teaching at Young Americans Christian School in August 2008 and thrived. She faced challenges that most first-year teachers encounter with grace, determination, and a few tears of frustration. She loved her students and co-workers and they loved her back. 
The second year began with more confidence and a passion for giving her students the best she had to offer. Her classroom was filled with joy, a love of learning, and Spike, a noisy little cockatiel. Her bulletin board featured her favorite Cape Cod lighthouse to let her children know how they could be lights for others. She loved to teach, inspire, and nurture children to be their best, and was a light in their lives.
That Friday night’s performance of Kate’s show was cancelled, but family and friends from church and Kate’s school came to offer food, support, and prayers. We were all devastated by the news; but the next day Kate decided that after four months of rehearsals and despite pain – THE SHOW MUST GO ON!! She wanted to finish what we’d started — tell a story of love, family, courage in spite of pain, and the determination of one astonishing woman. Anyone seeing Kate as Jo in Little Women, aware of what she was facing, was mesmerized by her talent, strength, and courage. They saw a performance that revealed the character and fortitude of this amazing, young, beautiful woman. At 2:00am on March 9, 2011, just 9 ½ months after her diagnosis, with show tunes playing in the background, she passed away surrounded by her family. Kate not only taught us all how to live a life filled with joy and compassion, she also taught us how to die with courage and with peace.
Kate loved teaching, helping and being a positive example for others, especially children. She was drawn to those who were down to help bring smiles to their faces. She did it with the little ones she taught music to, the students she directed, and to her family. Kate would have been at the head of a line to volunteer to work with children who had experienced the death of a loved one. It is very fitting that this camp is named in honor of this remarkable and wonderful young woman.
A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.
Sponsored by the Longleaf Hospice Foundation, Camp Kate is staffed with volunteers from the administrators to our food service people. with trained counselors and social workers, volunteers from Longleaf Hospice, local churches and schools, college and high school students, and therapy dogs with handlers.
Campers are supervised during a day’s activities, and at some programs, adult guardians also take part in small peer group sessions conducted by professionals to help the adults learn to deal with their own grief and that of their families.
At the close of the day camps a memorial celebration is conducted for the children and their families.
Camp Kate is a bereavement camp for children who have experienced a personal loss through the death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or other close relationship. The camp offers an opportunity outside of the home for children to learn about and discuss grief issues in a relaxed and safe environment.
At Camp Kate we use a combination of small group activities involving games, dog therapy, and arts & crafts sessions to assist children with their grief process.
Camp Kate is free for campers and adults who wish to attend.
Camp Kate serves rising Kindergartners through graduating High School Seniors. At 18 and upon graduation from high school, campers move from the day camps, but can still be involved with programs tailored for young adults.
Because children process death and grief differently based on their age, campers are grouped into one of four groups, each with its own counselors, activities and training specific to that group.
Camper groups
At 18 and upon graduation from high school, older campers move from the day camps, but can still be involved with special programs tailored for young adults aged 18 – 23.
We have camp counselors, experienced working with older groups who are organizing programs to permit these campers to stay connected with peers who are still in their grief journey. These smaller, informal groups will be based on the needs and wants of these young adults.
And, if after aging out as a camper for several camps, they may return to volunteer with our younger camper groups, alongside our adult counselors.
Parents, grandparents, older siblings of campers and adults with no direct connection to campers may attend the adult programs offered at each Camp Kate. These programs are facilitated by trained and experienced social workers, grief counselors and professionals who will guide the adults in activities, conversations, and discussions on their grief journey. Some of these are tied to activities which campers are engaged in during the same camp, and other activities and discussions are tailored to the needs of the adults.
We plan to continue with two day camps each year, with one overnight camp in the works. And each quarter, we will have smaller get-togethers for individual camp groups to allow those campers and families to further solidify their bonds and community.
These events will be built around game nights, hang-outs, lock-ins or lockouts for the older campers, movies, skating, pool parties, and ice cream socials.
We look for volunteers in many roles: intake and registration, working with children in craft and game activities, small group sessions, and food preparation, with ages ranging from 16 to 75.
Our camp counselors have been selected based on their experience working with children, personal experience with the death of a loved one, and commitment to helping campers engage at camp, open up, share, support and help each other grow in their individual grief journey. Volunteers are required to attend sessions before working at Camp Kate, and if interested may contact us HERE.
Camp Kate is affiliated with and supported by The Longleaf Hospice Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. So donations to support Camp Kate may be made to Longleaf Hospice Foundation and those funds earmarked for Camp Kate are tax-deductable.
The Longleaf Hospice Foundation, Inc. is committed to providing support to individuals or families of those who have a loved one affected by terminal illness including offering financial support, education, bereavement and advocacy.
Copyright © 2023 by Camp Kate Longleaf. All rights reserved
After 20 months of separation, quarantine, and zoom calls, we finally had an opportunity to move Onward at an in-person camp. The power of Camp Kate is being able to be with peers who help us move forward in our grief journeys.
For this first camp in two years, we returned to Camp Westminster with an Onward theme. Like the characters in the Disney movie, we talked about those special people in our lives, the memories made and missed with them, and our plans for moving Onward.
We still employed safety protocols and social distancing among our groups, but our masked campers and adults still benefitted from being with peers. Whether involved in archery, fishing, kayaking, rock wall climbing, or small group sharing, our participants all had a wonderful day.
We started our year with a treat for our campers. We offered a double dose of fun, especially our three youngest groups. Many of them participated in Healing Hearts Through the Arts last fall and did improvisation with Jenni Caruso, theatre teacher and director of Conyers Wizards of Odd Improv troupe. We thought an improv show for children would be fun, and The Munchkin Show was born.
The troupe performed based on their suggestions from its young audience and several campers were also part of the show. They had a great time and so did the improvisers, making up stuff on the spur of the moment. But the fun didn’t end there. Afterward we walked to Ice Days for an afternoon of skating.
The weather was perfect, and our improviser-campers and parents joined many more Camp Kate families for a beautiful afternoon.
Several campers got an extra treat from Lori Todd, our dog wrangler/leader. She brought a dozen hand-knitted caps that a friend had knit for our campers. The kids loved them, young and old, and our multi-colored capped campers had a ball skating around the rink one last time for the winter.
Like our campers, many Disney characters have experienced the death of a loved one. Each works through the stages of grief with family, friends, and peer support.
Using Simba’s grief journey as a theme, campers and counselors explored the challenges of “life not being fair,” running from pain, remembering loved ones, accepting one’s loss then learning from it, and moving forward.
Campers, led by music therapists, created sounds and songs to explore their feelings. By group, they discussed pain and coping strategies, loved ones they shared memories with, and decorated memory boxes as keepsakes of those they loved.
Camp was fun but not without its trials. Giant inflatables had campers trying to keep their balance when “life” threw obstacles at them or knocked them off their feet. One course had them face several hurdles and uphill challenges before emerging exhausted but smiling on the other side. Much like life, in many ways.
We thought, engaged, shared, and laughed even when we got knocked down. Most learned something new about themselves and their peers. Together we celebrated the lives of those we miss, and we grew as travelers walking side by side through grief.
Using creativity as an avenue to discuss and process grief, our late summer event brought three young camp groups together for an afternoon of art, music and drama. Conducted by professionals in each discipline, campers thought about their loved ones and participated in a rotation of creative healing activities.
Campers talked about and then designed and painted ceramic memory boxes to reflect that loved one’s personality.
During our music session, campers discussed music to help coping, remembering, and celebrating life. Each child wrote a poem based on characteristics of their loved one that would be set to music. Many students created their own melodies
on instruments they chose to accompany the words they wrote.
In our drama/improv session, campers explored movement memory and games to escape from the reality of grief and
find new ways of coping.
Sometimes it’s nice just to get out of the house and hang out with friends. Cody, leader of our Hiro group thought so, too. His group, named for Hiro Hamada a character in Disney’s Big Hero 6, is for young adults aged 19 -25. Because its members either work or are in college, they have more flexibility and independence than our younger groups, and are better able to get together outside of a camp setting.
We’ve gathered with the Harry’s and Lukes before to play games, but this night it was just about the Hiro’s. So, we opted for dinner and bowling. Pizza, subs, soda and ten pins. It was a small group, but we had a great time together.
When you hear the word “camp” you usually picture the outdoors. After four years of mostly indoor activities, we moved our program to hold our next event at Camp Westminster. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, the woods were beautiful, and the air smelled fresh. What a great day we had!
From the climbing tower and zip line, to the low ropes course, arrow tag and horseback riding, there were countless opportunities for everyone to challenge their fears, step out on faith, hear support from peers, and prove to ourselves that we are all survivors.
Some campers loved fishing, grooming horses or playing GaGa Ball, but we all had a chance to try something new. We found the strength to pull ourselves higher and higher ‘til we reached the top. We leaned on each other a little longer and shared with our peers a bit more. Lori was there with the puppies to open our hearts to our shared stories and feelings, and our counselors made us feel safe and better able to continue along our grief journey.
We didn’t have to dine on rice, but Survivor was an apt theme for this camp because everyone involved with Camp Kate, be they camper or volunteer, has experienced a tragedy in their lives and has come though it stronger.
Ice Days in Conyers was gracious to host us again, and we had a super crowd of campers with us. Outside of our twice-a-year spring and fall camps, this skating event is a wonderful opportunity for new families to join Camp Kate in a strictly fun activity. Whether they interact with other campers or just skate with their families, they still have become part of our camp family. Since most contact with families is via phone or email, Jane and Rick get to meet new families and develop relationships.
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is always difficult, but it’s important to keep living and find joy in life. Part of our goal to “heal hearts one day at a time” is to create or foster opportunities where it is just okay to laugh and have fun. And that is what Camp Kate is about.
Holidays are particularly difficult for families who are grieving a loved one, whether this is the 1st or the 8th year. Traditions change and memories made may never be as joyful when someone is missing from the picture. Having experience with this emptiness, we heard about the decorations at Chimney Park in Covington and saw an opportunity for something different with our families.
We decided to organize an event around a visit to see the holiday lights with a chance to decorate cookies, drink hot chocolate and create some holiday magic with seasonal crafts. Never being sure how many people would respond or show up, we expected about 18 people. By the time the night was over, we’d run out of cookies and hot chocolate, had made dozens of ornaments and probably shared stories and laughter with about 45 people.
As the evening grew darker, families strode away from the Newton County Recreation Center to take in the lights and scenes at Chimney Park. T’was truly the season to be jolly.
The weather had been iffy a few days before our camp day, raining off and on. But since it was the last day of the rink’s season, we decided we’d still hold the event and see who showed up. As Jane put it, “The rain never bothered us anyway.” When we arrived at the rink, a couple of hardy families were already there. The air was a bit cool, drizzling a little, and there was a slight layer of water on the ice from the 1/3 that was not under the pavilion’s cover. We figured it would probably freeze in a while… but it didn’t.
Regardless, as families with kids showed up, they donned their skates and hit the ice. And as the afternoon wore on, that they did. First a little slip and a wet ankle here, then a bit of a slide and a soggy knee there; soon some kids’ t-shirts and jeans looked like they had been hit with a hose. But that didn’t stop campers and their parents from skating and sliding ‘round and ‘round the rink for hours. It turned out to be a fun day for the 24 campers and happy parents who joined us. And like the hokey pokey… that’s what it’s all about.
Like Jo and Amy March in Little Women or Bruce Wayne, there are many children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. Whether through illness or accident, observed or told, those who survive must carry on, overcome pain, and change to move forward with their lives.
One vital staff member was missing this year, but Simba counselor Hannah did send a message from Madrid, Spain to welcome us all. At this camp, we used Harry Potter themes and characters to talk about physical and emotional scars, wishes dreamed or denied, shared experiences, happy memories, and ways to overcome distractors to our healing. Several groups created shields that reflected these elements, and others created memory jars.
We were involved in our usual activities; puppies, leaves, luminaries, and crazy outdoor games. And while our oldest groups were in Hogwarts, our youngest campers were treated to the story of Cinderella, by singer/puppeteer Wendy Bennett. Cinderella, too, had lost both parents and didn’t receive a lot of support from her step-family. With some help from the audience, even Cinderella’s story had a happy ending. Our evening concluded with our closing ceremony and the quiet, reflective walk campers and adults took past the many luminaries lighting a path around the church.
It is our hope that campers realize that like Harry, they are “children who lived,” those who understand grief in a similar way. Being connected, able to listen, acknowledge, and “get” what others are experiencing. And through that, their journey to the other side is much easier and comforting.
Camp started with donuts and cereal. A good way for families to bond in the morning. After our opening, groups scattered to connect in their welcome circles and first activity.
Our youngest groups painted hearts showing their emotions as different colors, and Bambi’s created pictures of themselves blowing kisses (hearts) to heaven. Others used colored sand, representing various emotions, to fill small bottles. Campers wrote memories of loved ones and used tissue paper and glue to decorate jars to hold those memories. Adults shared their stories and pain in their groups, as they mended broken pots and lives. Older campers discussing the stages of grief, were bold enough to acknowledge their grief by standing at one of the five stages. In doing so, non-verbally connected with others at the same point in their journey.
There was plenty of time to be silly at our photo booth and at Minute to Win It where kids challenged themselves or others. Campers stacked cups or metal nuts, slid cookies down their faces to their mouths, or picked up cotton balls with their noses.
At the closing we watched “Astonishing“, a video of Kate’s life, with a song of the same name from Little Women. Then we had a performance by Reid Soria. Reid, who developed autism at a young age, was never expected to speak or connect with the world. Yet, through his sheer grit and talent he became a professional singer and entertainer.
Like many who grieve, we also struggle with external obstacles or our own self-doubts. But with support from those who empathize, who are willing to listen, hug, or just sit with you in silence, immense grief can lessen and you can emerge from the storm stronger and able to sing again.
The benefits of horseback riding and being around horses goes back to the ancient Greeks. Today, Equine Relationship Therapy also known as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a program that focuses on relationships, and uses horses as a tool to enhance behavioral, relational, emotional, and spiritual growth.
We were able to provide this opportunity to a small group of campers at the Horse and Harp program in Conyers. Because horses are sensitive to our thoughts and emotions, equine therapists feel that up close and personal encounters with horses brings new perspectives to personal challenges. This program involved horse-assisted counseling and harp-accompanied journaling. For campers grieving the loss of a loved one, this experience was powerful and beyond words.
Our fall camp began with campers creating “Who Am I?” figures, and with their parents help, leaves representing loved ones for our Tree of Life. Later they worked together to build luminary boxes for the evenings Memory Walk at dusk. Lori theme was “We Are All Broken,” which led to a discussion of “I am not alone in the grief I feel,” and for our older groups a look at the five stages of grief including denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. Campers shared or wrote about feelings they had, wishes or memories denied, and they physically placed themselves in the stage where they felt they were at that time.
Each group spent time with the puppies on hand, many of them abandoned or medically fragile themselves. Our numbers included 74 campers, 50 volunteers, and 40 parents who participated in our adult session. After dinner, the campers and groups flocked to the photo booth and got decked out in party attire for their pictures and then danced away with another outrageous dance party.
Soon, we gathered for our closing ceremony and a video that captured the day’s events. Then we quietly went outdoors by group, led by our Bambi’s to walk past a long line of beautiful luminaries, each representing one of our loved ones. The mood was serene and moving and many tears were shed by campers and adults.
Luckily, our path led us to fire pits over which campers could make Smores, and adults could send messages or thoughts to their loved ones on the shingles they tossed into the flames. It was a wonderful night, that while emotional was not over ‘til the last balloon released by our campers disappeared into the dark fall sky.
We started the day with 40 campers and their families, and 50+ volunteers enjoying breakfast courtesy of the Waffle House. After a hearty meal, campers split into four directions including our new high school-age group, and we introduced the welcome circle activity. Campers and counselors in each group wrapped yard around their wrist as they said their name and who died in their life. The ball of yarn was then tossed to another who introduced themselves in the same way. This continued across the circle until everyone had shared and created a web connecting all present as those who also had shared grief.
Parents who remained met with social worker Courtney who shared our camp theme and planned camper activities. We strongly feel that grieving children need support from all sides, and caretakers who foster growth and healthy conversation about feelings at home help make children’s grief journey easier.
This third camp was the first with a formal theme, so Lori Todd met with each camper group to talk about feeling broken. Later, campers worked in groups to rebuild broken pots, share memories and learned that even in grief we have value and can put our lives back together again. Campers also used statements on Jenga blocks to spark conversation about their loved ones, pain, and their feelings. The theme of memories and feelings came together when Salem HS’s drama students brought Disney’s Inside Out characters to life with a skit for our young campers. The movie is powerful for illustrating how memories, especially those involving loved ones, are often bound together with feelings of both joy and sadness.
Bonds continued to develop between campers and their counselors, and we were all starting to gel as a group. We ended a perfect day with campers releasing dozens of balloons. Each one representing a life lost, but a life that still affected those who loved them.
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, and if someone has made ice, you should go skate on it. So, for a change of pace and another opportunity for camps to get together with others, we hosted a skating party for any camper who was available at the Ice Days rink in Olde Town Conyers. The afternoon was warm and whether skaters were experienced or novices, they had a great time in the rink.
Campers, led by music therapists, created sounds and songs to explore their feelings. By group, they discussed pain and coping strategies for loved ones who were a part of their lives in shared experiences, and they decorated memory boxes as keepsakes of those they loved.
Camp was fun but not without its challenges. Large inflatables had campers trying to keep their balance when “life” threw obstacles at them or knocked them off their feet. One course had them facing several hurdles and uphill challenges against other campers before they emerged exhausted but smiling on the other side. Much like life, in many ways.
We thought, engaged, shared, and laughed when we got knocked down. Most learned something new about themselves and their peers. Collectively we celebrated the lives of those we miss and we grew as travelers walking together through grief.
From the beginning, we didn’t know how often we’d host camps, but Phil impressed with the success of the first camp, and Jane’s work, suggested we hold them, maybe twice a year. So, the next planned date, one day before Kate’s birthday, was selected. Months away, it was also something to ponder, especially since camp would be at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Conyers.
Campers, led by music therapists, created sounds and songs to explore their feelings. By group, they discussed pain and coping strategies for loved ones who were a part of their lives in shared experiences, and they decorated memory boxes as keepsakes of those they loved.
Camp was fun but not without its challenges. Large inflatables had campers trying to keep their balance when “life” threw obstacles at them or knocked them off their feet. One course had them facing several hurdles and uphill challenges against other campers before they emerged exhausted but smiling on the other side. Much like life, in many ways.
We thought, engaged, shared, and laughed when we got knocked down. Most learned something new about themselves and their peers. Collectively we celebrated the lives of those we miss and we grew as travelers walking together through grief.
When you may not have a camp for a few months, but still want campers to be connected and feel that we care about them, you offer free ice cream. And we did!
With the continued support from Longleaf Hospice Foundation, our great volunteers and the wonderful folks at Scoops in Covington Square, we invited our campers and families for a day of fun and cool treats in the Square. We had dogs, bubbles, and of course, ice cream. We were a small crowd, but we enjoyed being together, met passers-by who asked about Camp Kate and took part in a fun, unstructured afternoon together.
With 28 potential campers, a staff of 40+, food, activities, and balloons standing by, Jane and her volunteers awaited campers and parents at the Montesorri School in Covington.
By 9:30am, we had 15 campers aged 6 – 12 who, sorted into Bambi and Simba groups, spent the day creating hand tiles representing loved ones, masks reflecting emotions, and jars for capturing memories. They sang, played, laughed, and cuddled with dogs. Some shed a few tears, but all learned that they were not alone in their grief journey. They met others their age who understood and could support them with or without words.
It was successful beyond belief. For those who attended, and those who volunteered by leading, sharing, cooking, serving, playing, encouraging, or simply offering empathy through words, silence, smiles, or acknowledgement.
