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Young & Brave Hearts Gather at Camp BraveHeart 2010
 The fourth annual Camp BraveHeart to help kids and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one work through their grief was held on August 25th and 26th at YMCA Camp Fuller in Wakefield. The Center for Grief & Healing at Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island (www.hhcri.org), the state’s leader in hospice and palliative care since 1976, coordinated the event at which 70 campers, ages 5 to 17, attended the 2-day day camp that combined traditional fun camp activities with grief support.
Rainy weather, on the first day, did not dampen anyone’s spirit thanks to a contingency plan for inclement weather. Indoor activities included arts and crafts, games and a drum circle that allowed the young people an opportunity to express their feelings through art and music. Grief counselors from Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island’s Center for Grief & Healing provided grief and emotional support through discussions, storytelling with themes of strength and hope, scrapbooking and remembrance circles. A robust group of volunteers trained specifically for the camp were also on hand to lend their support and compassion. Day two of the camp offered blue, sunny skies and a perfect day for swimming, kayaking, slip ‘n sliding, the zip line, low ropes and a barbecue lunch.
 “While many children go through similar experiences when coping with the loss of a loved one, sometimes it is helpful for kids to know that they are not alone,” says HHCRI’s children’s grief specialist Deanna Upchurch, who holds a master’s in counseling psychology and founded the camp. “These surviving children often feel isolated and lonely in their grief and may not be sure of how to handle the conflicting emotions they are feeling. At Camp BraveHeart, we provide an appropriate emotional outlet to children by offering them grief support in an environment of fun recreational activities, and we help them to understand that what they’re experiencing, although painful, is perfectly normal.
A balloon launch rich in symbolism ended the 2-day camp. In the end, some tears were shed, friends were made, hearts were mended; but best of all, they had lots of fun.
Bereavement programs of The Center for Grief & Healing at Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island guide people of all ages through the difficult times that follow the death of someone special. Support groups meet throughout the state at various times throughout the year. Groups are free and open to the public, even to those who are not using the organization’s hospice services. More information about Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island’s bereavement and other services is available by visiting by calling the Center for Grief & Healing at 401-415-4300.
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