Building Connection: New York Life Volunteers Bring Heart to Camp Erin Tampa Bay 2025

This year, our supporters at New York Life Foundation once again showed their incredible dedication to grieving children and families through their heartfelt support of Camp Erin Tampa Bay 2025. Led by volunteer coordinator Crystal, more than 50 New York Life employees contributed their time, creativity, and compassion to make this year’s camp an unforgettable experience.

In the weeks leading up to camp, volunteers hosted a series of creative and community-building events to prepare both supplies and spirits for campers:

• Teddy Bear Drive (Feb 25 – Mar 11): Volunteers collected and donated over 100 teddy bears for camper comfort bags.
• Tile Smash Painting Party (Mar 4): A 15’ x 20’ superhero-themed tarp was painted with powerful words of encouragement to serve as the backdrop for the camp’s grief activity. This reusable art piece will continue to evolve each year with new messages of hope and strength.
• Welcome Poster Painting Party (Mar 6): Eight vibrant posters were created to welcome campers with warmth and reassurance as they arrived for their weekend of connection and support.
• Comfort Bag Packing Day (Mar 12): Volunteers assembled drawstring bags filled with LED lights, fidget toys, water bottles, stickers, and plush bears—thoughtful reminders that they are not alone in their grief.

When camp weekend arrived (Mar 14–16), 18 volunteers joined campers on-site as Cabin Big Buddies, activity leaders, and support staff, even bringing along a special furry friend, Mosey the therapy dog, to help brighten spirits and build bonds.

For Crystal, volunteering at Camp Erin is a deeply personal way to connect and share understanding through grief.

“Participating in Camp Erin is immensely rewarding for my mental health and for honoring my own grief journey,” she shared. “During the luminary activity, a camper helped me create a lantern honoring my brother, who was a volunteer firefighter. That moment reminded me how grief connects us and how love continues through others.”

Another volunteer, Kayla Rose Perrier, reflected on the meaning of her experience:

“Camp Erin means that I am doing my part to help comfort and support a family that is experiencing a similar loss that I went through. It gives me hope that these families will have the right resources and community when they feel like they are in their darkest hour.”

The New York Life team sees Camp Erin as a reflection of their company’s purpose, helping families build lasting legacies of love and care. Looking ahead, Crystal and her colleagues are already planning new ways to stay engaged throughout the year by hosting “Pizza & Brainstorming Parties” to dream up even more creative volunteer initiatives for Camp Erin 2026.

Camp Erin continues to be a space of compassion, connection, and understanding—made possible by partners like New York Life, who remind us that we grieve, grow, and care for one another best when we do it together.