Grief Support Groups
Windom, MN - Windom Area Hospital Large Conference Room
Begins Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 4:30-6 p.m. and continues every Tuesday for six weeks.
Call 1-866-655-1017 to register.
Worthington, MN - Sanford Worthington Regional Hospital
Begins Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 4:30-6 p.m. and continues every Tuesday for six weeks.
Canby, MN - Conference Room F, Sanford Wellness Building
Begins Tuesday, September 1, 2009 and continues every Tuesday for five weeks from 4-5:30 p.m.
Call (507) 223-5884 to register.
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Camp Jess Helps Children Deal with Adult Issues
As adults, we are expected to deal with serious issues and often have discussions about them. Children are generally not included. But the reality is that children are often at the center of these adult issues of; suicide, drugs, accidental death and long illnesses.
At Hospice, we know that kids are often left out of discussions about death and grief. Their issues involving loneliness, sadness, guilt and depression have often been overlooked or thought of as insignificant. They may also keep those feelings to themselves in fear of further burdening a grieving parent. We also know that kids grieve a little differently than adults, and that “play time”and “time to be a kid” are important parts of their growth and healing. As a child grows up and experiences different stages in their development, that grief will resurface and may need to be recognized many times over.
Now, in your mind, picture a child’s camp…chances are good that it includes activities involving, crafts, music and maybe even nature walks. Does that picture change if I tell you that this is a grief camp for kids, kids who have experienced a death in their family or of a close friend? It shouldn’t, because these are just some of the fun activities that happen at Camp.
To deal with the issues of childhood grief and to help children understand that these feelings are very natural, Sanford Hospice started Camp. Camp is a one-day camp experience, for children ages 6-17. Stay tuned for details on Camp Jess location and date information for 2010!
A day at Camp is a day dedicated solely to the children. It’s all about them and their feelings. Mixed in with the “play time” are fun activities designed to promote healing and teach coping techniques. “Memory Boxes,” covered with lots of glue and glitter, hold a treasured picture of a parent, sibling or loved one. Letters are written to the one who died; many hold words of anger and loneliness. Teddy Bears are hugged and tears are shed. But all the activities center on the individual child and their needs. One of the most helpful aspects of Camp is simply being around other kids who have gone through similar experiences.
If you know a child who would benefit from Camp and would like more information, please call. Our toll free phone number is 1-888-845-4438, or in Sioux Falls call, (605) 328-4440.
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