Orange City Home Health & Hospice hosted a day camp on Saturday, April 28 for children TK through sixth grade who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Camp Hope’s mission is “to provide a safe place where children have the opportunity to share their feelings and experiences with other children who have also experienced death and to equip parents and caregivers with education and support.” According to social worker Kim Jansma, “Orange City Home Health & Hospice cares about grieving children. Our hope is to educate them about the grief process and give them tools for coping with their loss. We do this by working with the kids as a group while focusing on their individual needs.” Camp Hope, held at Orange City Area Health System’s downtown campus, included games to encourage expression of feelings, a puppet show, crafts including decorating a memory box, peer support, and grief education. Comments gathered from the 14 participating children indicated that they learned that “It’s okay to cry,” and “I need to remember my grandma.” The children also wrote about activities they enjoyed, including “turning lemons into lemonade.” According to social worker Michelle Vaas, “Facing grief is not easy at any age. Camp Hope provides an encouraging environment where children can begin to accept the death of their loved one, reflect on their relationship, and begin to understand grief and loss.” For more information about services offered by Orange City Home Health & Hospice, visit ocHealthSystem.org or call 712-737-5279.
CAMP HOPE OFFERS HEALING TOUCH FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN
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