Camps Helps Grieving Kids Cope
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Photo: The Philadelphia Tribune
Home Camps Helps Grieving Kids Cope
By Louis Bolling, The Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia, PA
More than 1.5 million American children are grieving the death of a parent. One and seven children will lose a sibling or parent before age 20. Ninety percent of children will lose someone close to them before graduating high school.
These startling statistics only highlight the need and appreciation for programs like Camp Erin and Camp Mariposa, the brainchild of World Series winning pitcher and former Phillie, Jamie Moyer, and his wife, Karen.
“Camp is my second home,” stated a Camp Erin camper whose father died from an alcohol addiction. “I was very upset.”
At Camp Erin, youngsters, like the 12 year old boy, learn “how to deal” with losing a loved one. “I know that there are other people out there to help me,” he said.
Through the foundation the couple started in 2000, Jamie and Karen initiated groundbreaking programs across the country that reach out to children and teens in distress. Camp Erin hosts children who have suffered the death of one or more loved ones, and Camp Mariposa cares for children who come from families with issues of alcoholism and addiction. The camps have reached more than 1,500 Pennsylvanian children since 2007.