Camp Evergreen Helps Grieving Youth and Teens

When a loved one passes away, it is difficult for the entire family. What is often forgotten is that the younger generation doesn’t fully understand the concept of death and feel isolated from their peers. Camp Evergreen, Center for Hospice Care’s (CHC) camp for grieving youth and teens, is designed to help campers realize that many other youth and teens have also experienced death.

At camp, participants realize that many other youth and teens have experienced death, they are not alone! With guidance from licensed CHC bereavement counselors, they are educated on the grief process and ways to cope. While the camp is about grief, the youth and teens also enjoy many of the activities typically associated with summer camp such as swimming, canoeing, enjoying nature and games with other participants.
 
At camp, trained volunteers act as an adult buddy for an individual camper or a small group of teen campers. Other volunteers assist with activities at both the camp and the workshop. 
Camp Evergreen is divided into two segments, a one-day camp experience for youth and teens ages 10 to 17 (18 if still in high school) and a one-day workshop for parents/guardians and their children, ages 6 to 12. Youth ages 10-12 can choose to participate in either of the experiences. 
 
This year’s Camp Evergreen will take place on Saturday May 31 and the Camp Evergreen Workshop will be on Saturday September 27. Thanks to the support of a generous community, Camp Evergreen is free to all youth and teens in our community who have experienced a loss. If you are know of somebody who would benefit from the Camp Evergreen experience, or are interested in being a volunteer, email evergreen@cfhcare.org.