Lean On Me A Summer Camp that Helps with Grief
By Cathy Spear
W
HEN A YOUNG GIRL’S PARENT DIES, HER CHILDHOOD IS FOREVER ALTERED. Huge challenges lie ahead of her as she confronts a life that is suddenly very different from what it used to be Circle Camps for Grieving Children opened its first program, Circle of Tapawingo, in southwestern Maine in 2002 to help young girls feel less alone in their grief. This summer, the organization is planning to serve almost 300 girls at its camps in Maine, New Hampshire, West Virginia and California. Each camp offers six days of traditional overnight camp activities, including swimming, canoeing, ropes courses, basketball, arts and crafts, archery, dance and talent shows. Campers live together in cabins and share in all of the summertime fun that make overnight camp experiences meaningful. Campers return year after year, so they can experience Circle as an ongoing piece of their childhood.
Throughout the week, grief activities are woven into the schedule. On the second day, under the guidance of a licensed professional, each bunk comes together for “Circle Time.” This time offers the girls a chance to share memories of their deceased parents with their cabin-mates. Craft projects allow girls to memorialize their parents. Other grief activities encourage girls to think about the changes that have occurred in their lives and to address the many feelings that arise; and coping strategies are offered. Late in the week, there is an evening campfire that focuses gently on the theme of endings. A service held on the final morning of camp is especially meaningful as all campers and counselors place a personally inscribed rock in a memory garden. And throughout the week, there are spontaneous conversations – in the cabins, on walks down to the lake, during rest hour – that help campers feel supported and connected to each other. Northeast Camp Guide 2021 | BostonParentsPaper.com
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