"Grief Camp" In Plainfield Teaches Kids To Cope With Loss
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two dozen south and southwest suburban children were taking part in a different kind of day camp this week.
The Journey Children's Day Camp is a "grief camp" of sorts at the Avery YMCA and Jones Middle School in Plainfield.
"The first day is really about sharing the story and telling feelings," said Mary Ann Burns, bereavement coordinator at the Joliet Area Community Hospice, which was hosting the four-day camp.
Burns said the event teaches good coping skills to children who've had someone close to them die. She said the progress they make is evident.
"The first day, they're really anxious and sad; and by the last day they're running, jumping, laughing. They're talking," she said.
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Thursday is the last day of the camp.
"We'll start with a meditation, and they're going to write a letter to their loved one. After they write the letter, we're going to have a ritual and we're going to burn them there to bring those words to their loved one," Burns said.
After that, there'll be a group balloon release.
Burns said, by the end of the camp, children learn to identify their emotions and understand it's okay to have them.
