A new support option for families and children dealing with the grief of loss is being introduced in Yolo County.
Camp Hope, designed by YoloCares, will be a unique therapeutic weekend-long event.
The inaugural grief camp is scheduled for September 2024, and will host ten local families who have experienced the significant loss of a loved one.
YoloCares is a regional leader in end-of-life care and grief support.
The camp will not cost families a dime, according to YoloCares, thanks to $85,000 in funding from Sutter Health to support grief counseling, grief groups, and community outreach, and a $15,000 grant from the Kelly Foundation.
“With this line of funding, we are so pleased to be able to expand our grief support programs to include impactful and healing experiences like Camp Hope to families who would otherwise be unable to access it. This is a wonderful gift to our community,” Elisa Stone, coordinator of the YoloCares for Kids, said in a press release.
The weekend retreat will focus on nature as a way to address loss and sorrow. Set in the beautiful redwoods of the Sonoma Coast in Occidental, CA, families will enjoy their own cabins, all meals, and daily activities that will help participants memorialize and process their losses while having fun.
“We often underestimate the power that nature has in restoring our peace and equilibrium. Families who are in the midst of a deep and profound loss can find themselves in a prolonged state of dysregulation. Our wish is that Camp Hope acts as a path back to connectedness for families by offering space for each unit to honor their loved one and reprieve from their day-to-day routine,” Chris Erdman, director of Center for Loss & Hope, said in a press release.
Camp Hope is the newest offering from YoloCares for Kids, a bereavement program that is offered through YoloCares’ Center for Loss & Hope. Serving 150 families annually, children and teens of patients served by YoloCares can access one-on-one counseling that is culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate. Support groups for children and parents, as well as grief workshops for parents and guardians are also available free of charge to the community.
YoloCares is a community-rooted end-of-life care agency that serves the counties of Yolo, Sacramento, Sutter, Solano, and Colusa. The agency offers hospice, palliative care, caregiver resources, community grief support and adult day care services. To learn more about YoloCares’ programs, visit www.yolocares.org or call (530) 758-5566.
