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Camp Kangaroo is a bereavement camp offered free of charge to children in the community who have experienced the death of a loved one. Campers receive grief education and emotional support combined with fun camp activities. Camp Kangaroo is psychotherapy and creative arts therapy based. Led by dedicated professionals and trained volunteers from Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, Camp Kangaroo helps children feel less alone in their grief, provides them with a supportive environment to express their emotions, and helps them learn effective coping strategies. It gives an opportunity for children to find new meaning following the loss of their loved ones.

Coming together as a community is an integral part of Camp Kangaroo. The Pandemic has limited our ability to do so, but our wonderful clinicians have come up with a virtual experience that will ensure campers feel supported and part of a group.

Counselors will work with families for our pre-camp assessment. Once that is complete, individual kits will be delivered to each camper’s home. Kits will include supplies needed for legacy projects and activities during group sessions as well as Camp shirts, water bottles, stuffed kangaroos and instructions for guardians.

Virtual workshops will be held during 1-2 hour online sessions. Groups will be broken down by age and each group will participate in activities that lead them through:

• Sharing their story
• Understanding how death has changed their lives
• Adjusting to change and grief emotions
• Strategies for regurgitating emotions and opportunities to support each other
• Sharing memories and ideas for remembrances
• Creating a memory box

Many of these activities help campers to feel like they are not alone in their grief journey. So many of the kids that participate tell us the best part of camp was finding people their age, with similar experiences.

Our favorite community builder at camp is writing a camp song. Our wonderful music therapists have created a way to do this virtually so campers can still participate. Families will receive a digital copy of this camp staple.

Guardians will also be supported through sessions prior to camp and after camp. These sessions provide grief counseling for adults and help caregivers understand how best to support their camper.

If you know someone that needs our support, you can find more information about Camp Kangaroo here.here.

Camp is offered free of charge to any child that needs us. In order to do this, even virtually, we rely on our wonderful donors for support. You can sponsor a camper here!here