For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Kristin Mostowski, Director of Public Relations | Community Hospice | Kristin.Mostowski@hospiceheart.org | 209.578.6301
Camp Erin® of the Central Valley Helps Children and Teens Cope with Grief
Community Hospice offers free camp for grieving children and teens
August 7, 2017 (Modesto, CA) – Camp Erin of the Central Valley is a free bereavement camp for children and teens ages 6 to 17 that have experienced the death of someone close to them. In 2014, Community Hospice partnered with The Moyer Foundation to launch their inaugural Camp Erin® of the Central Valley. On June 8-11, 2017, 107 campers and over 60 volunteers and staff members from all over the Central Valley made their way to Foothill Horizons Outdoor School for the four-day grief camp. Foothill Horizons served as a new camp site this year due to an overwhelming community response and need for our children and teens in our communities.
“There is a great need for Camp Erin of the Central Valley and we are blessed to have been able to expand our program this year offering camp to more grieving kids in our community,” said Nancy Houghton, Camp Erin of the Central Valley Director. “Applications for camp have doubled since our first Camp Erin of the Central Valley in 2014. We are honored to be able to provide a healing camp experience and feel humbled to have so many dedicated community residents support our program.”
Led by professional grief counselors and trained volunteers, camp offers a fun environment, combined with planned grief activities that allow children a chance to express their feelings, make friendships with peers that have had similar life experiences and honor loved ones that are no longer with them. Camp provides a unique opportunity for youth to increase levels of hope, enhance self-esteem, and especially to learn that they are not alone.
As children grieve very differently than adults, Camp Erin of the Central Valley is designed to specifically address the needs of our youth. Through the generous support of our friends and neighbors in the community, Camp Erin of the Central Valley is offered free to all campers. To learn more about Camp Erin of the Central Valley visit camperincentralvalley.org or call 209.578.6300. For sponsorship opportunities contact the Community Hospice Foundation at 209.578.6370 or give.hospiceheart.org.
About Community Hospice
Community Hospice is the largest and oldest nonprofit hospice agency in the Central Valley. Serving the community since 1979, Community Hospice has cared for thousands of friends and neighbors offering compassionate and quality care, education and support to terminally ill patients and families, regardless of ability to pay. Care extends to over 2000 patients each year in private homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and at the 16-bed inpatient Community Hospice Alexander Cohen Hospice House. Community Hospice also provides bereavement and grief support to anyone in the community. For more information please call 209.578.6300 or visit hospiceheart.org.
About The Moyer Foundation
The Moyer Foundation is a public, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide comfort, hope and healing to children and families affected by grief and addiction. Founded in 2000 by former MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer, The Moyer Foundation supports thousands of children and families each year through its free signature programs and services. Camp Erin® is the largest national bereavement program for children and teens grieving the death of someone significant in their lives and Camp Mariposa® is a national addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth impacted by a family member’s substance use disorder. The Moyer Foundation Resource Center extends The Foundation’s continuum of care by providing a curated set of online resources with personalized phone and email support for families experiencing grief, addiction and other related issues. For more information, please visit moyerfoundation.org
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