THE ST LOUIS BEREAVEMENT CENTER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

CAMP COURAGE IS A FOUR-NIGHT/FIVE-DAY OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR GRIEVING KIDS AGES 6 - 11 YEARS. CAMP COURAGE TEENS (FORMERLY CAMP ERIN ST. LOUIS) IS A FOUR-NIGHT/FIVE-DAY OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR GRIEVING TEENS AGES 12 - 18. THESE TWO CAMP EXPERIENCES PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BEREAVED CHILDREN AND TEENS TO MEET EACH OTHER, THUS DECREASING THEIR SENSE OF ISOLATION, INCREASING THEIR SENSE OF NORMALCY, IMPROVING THEIR COPING SKILLS, EMPOWERING THEM TO TRY NEW THINGS, ENHANCING THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, RETURNING JOY TO THEIR HEART, AND STIMULATING A (RE)DISCOVERING OF HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE. CAMP COURAGE SERVED 61 UNIQUE CHILDREN, WHILE CAMP COURAGE TEENS SERVED 49 FOR A TOTAL OF 110. 80 UNIQUE ADULTS ATTENDED CLOSING CEREMONIES. ALTOGETHER, 190 KIDS AND ADULTS WERE SERVED AT OUR TWO GRIEF CAMPS.

FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS EXIST TO UNITE GRIEVING FAMILIES IN A SAFE, COMFORTABLE, NON-JUDGMENTAL ENVIRONMENT, WHEREBY THEIR SENSE OF ISOLATION IS DECREASED, AND THEIR SENSE OF NORMALCY IS INCREASED, THEIR COPING SKILLS ARE IMPROVED, THEY FEEL MORE CAPABLE AND EMPOWERED TO MANAGE THEIR GRIEF, THEY ARE MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THE GRIEFPROCESS, ADULTS ARE MORE CONFIDENT SUPPORTING THE CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE AND TOGETHER, THEY (RE)DISCOVER HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE. IN 2023, THERE WERE FIVE SETS OF FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS SERVING 121 FAMILIES CONSISTING OF 188 KIDS, AGES 3 - 18, AND 156 ADULTS, FOR A TOTAL OF 344 PARTICIPANTS.