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| Children participate in theraputic art activities during Rainbow Trails Camp |
While Hope Healthcare recognizes Children’s Grief Awareness Day on Thursday, November 21, they offer services designed to help heal our community’s youngest hearts all year long.
Hope’s professional bereavement counselors offer specialized one-on-one and group grief counseling for children who are coping with complex emotions after the loss of a family member or friend. In addition, family nights offer children a safe and supportive environment to share their feelings and take part in counselor-guided interactive grief activities.
Hope also offers an annual weekend-long Rainbow Trails Camp led by experienced counselors, art and music therapists, and community volunteers. Children ages six through 17 who have experienced the loss of a loved one during the past year are invited to engage in traditional camp activities, including crafts, swimming, and singing. They also learn skills to cope with grief and participate in activities to memorialize and say goodbye to a loved one.
“People of all ages experience loss and express grief in different ways,” said Samira K. Beckwith, Hope Healthcare President and CEO. “We created the Rainbow Trails Camp 30 years ago because we wanted to have a special place for children to interact with others who understand their loss.”
Registration is now open for the 2020 Rainbow Trails Camp on Friday, April 3 through Sunday, April 5 at the Riverside Retreat in LaBelle. There is no charge for the camp, and Hope will host an orientation for parents and guardians. Children will be picked up by bus from Hope’s Fort Myers campus on Friday and will return on Sunday afternoon.
To learn more about Rainbow Trails Camp or to register a camper, visit https://www.hopehcs.org/rainbowtrailscamp/.
