Hospice of Queen Anne’s is offering its fifteenth annual Camp New Dawn for
children and teens. When a child loses a loved one, who do they turn to? What
feelings go through their young minds? What can we do to help them in their
grieving process? The goal of our inexpensive annual bereavement camp is to give
area children an enjoyable, accepting and supportive environment in which they can
freely express their feelings about the loss of a loved one. Often, kids feel the need
to appear strong to maintain order in their lives. They don’t wish to burden those they
love who are also grieving. Our camp will give them the opportunity to share with
other kids who have also lost someone loved, and to learn more about how to handle
the difficult emotions of grief. They can learn these things in a FUN way within a
loving, caring atmosphere, in a carefree camp setting.
Under the guidance of professional bereavement staff, campers have the opportunity
to meet with other children who have experienced similar losses, and to engage in
activities involving art, music and recreation through which they can explore their
grief. Support groups are also a part of the day camp, enabling the children to explore
their grief.
Camp New Dawn is available to any child between the ages of 4 and 18 that lives in
Queen Anne’s County and is experiencing normal grief following the death of a
primary family member. The overnight camp (for ages 7-18) will be held at Camp
Pecometh on Monday, August 17th – Wednesday, August 19th. We will also offer a
day camp for children who are between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. This will be
held from 9:30am-4:30pm on Tuesday, August 18th and will include swimming, lunch
and age-appropriate teaching and activities about grief.
Also, if you or someone that you know is interested in being a “Buddy” for Camp New
Dawn, we would love to hear from you. A “Buddy” is an individual who commits to
supporting one or two youths during the 48 hour camp by building a trusting and
nurturing relationship. Our buddies find the camp a rewarding and fulfilling experience
that they ultimately carry with them for the rest of their lives. By being a buddy, you
will be helping a child/children learn how to cope with their grief and move forward
in their healing process. Buddies must be 18 years or older.
For registration and applications, please contact Hospice of Queen Anne’s, 443-262-4100,
ext. 124 or email rknotts@hospiceofqueenannes.com