Larkspur, CA (Vocus) February 25, 2009
North Bay, San Francisco, and East Bay children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who are coping with the death of a parent, loved one, or friend are invited to apply for Hospice By The Bay’s 2nd annual grief support camp weekend, Camp Erin⢠Oakland/Bay Area, which will be held August 21-23, 2009. Attendance is free of charge for campers, and includes accommodations, meals, traditional camp fun, and therapeutic activities. Transportation is provided to and from Marin County to Camp Erin at the beautiful CYO Retreat Center in the Sonoma County Redwoods.
Camper registration is limited, and preference will be given to first-time Camp Erin attendees. For information and an application, contact Hospice By The Bay at CampErin(at)hospicebythebay.org, or (415) 526-5699, ext. 8501. Download an application at the Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area web site: www.hospicebythebay.org/Calendar/Events.html.
Along with recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, games, and campfires, campers will gain emotional support through therapeutic groups and activities led by professional counselors and an important sense of connection with other youngsters who are experiencing similar feelings of loss. As a previous Camp Erin participant said,
“It really helps to talk with other kids who have gone through a loss and understand how you feel. You don’t feel so alone.”
Campers will also have opportunities to express their feelings about the loss of their loved ones and learn ways to cope with their grief. A study by Ewalt & Perkins suggests that approximately 90 percent of youngsters will experience the loss of a family member or close friend before finishing high school. Research also indicates these children are at a much greater risk for depression, suicide, poverty, and substance abuse.
Hospice By The Bay, a non-profit, regional hospice and palliative care organization, has long recognized that children need grief support different than that for adults. As part of its Youth Bereavement Program, which offers youth a full range of counseling services, Hospice hosted its first Youth Bereavement Camp in 2001.
Hospice hosts Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area in partnership with The Moyer Foundation, which supplied partial grant funding for annual camps through 2018. The Seattle-based foundation was established by Major League All-Star pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen with a long-term goal of establishing 50 camps nationwide to support grieving children in cities with Major League Baseball teams. This year, 28 Camp Erin weekends will be held in 18 states. The foundation’s Campaign for Kids is a national fundraising effort to continue to expand Camp Erin across the country.
The Oakland Athletics and A’s third baseman Eric Chavez and his wife Alex are advocates for Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area. Michael Crowley, Oakland Athletics President, says, “The Oakland A’s organization is honored to be a part of The Moyer Foundation and its efforts to support grieving children through its Camp Erin efforts in the Bay Area, we would like to thank Jamie and Karen Moyer on their vision and dedication to such a worthy cause.”
A co-sponsor of the 2009 Camp Erin is The CYO Retreat Center, a 216-acre facility in the redwoods, with a private lake, playing fields, two pools, and heated cabins. Hospice By The Bay requests that individuals and other businesses who wish to support Camp Erin through their tax-deductible financial or in-kind donations contact its Director of Development at (415) 526-5500 or donate online at www.hospicebythebay.org.
Hospice By The Bay, which serves Marin, San Francisco, Northern San Mateo, and Sonoma counties, is dedicated to providing the highest quality of end-of-life care to patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice By The Bay also serves people whose lives have been affected by the loss of a loved one through its community grief support program.
Hospice By The Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving the Bay Area since 1975. Hospice By The Bay programs are funded through health care reimbursement and financial and in-kind donations from community members and businesses. For more information about Hospice By The Bay’s care or to make a donation to support our work, call (415) 927-2273, or visit www.hospicebythebay.org.
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