Foundation funds launch of Camp Kaleidoscope, an annual 3-Day Grief Camp for Children and Teens

Thanks to generous donors like you, this summer Whatcom Hospice is hosting its first-ever 3-day overnight grief camp serving children and teens in Whatcom County who have experienced the death of a significant family member. There is no charge to families for their child’s attendance at Camp Kaleidoscope, since the goal is to make the grief camp experience accessible to everyone who needs it.

The first annual Camp Kaleidoscope will be held August 4-6, 2023 at Camp Lutherwood in Bellingham. We anticipate about 40 campers, ages 6-12. In 2024 the camp will expand to serve teens through age 17.

The camp schedule will include traditional camp activities, facilitated grief activities, a memorial service, training on coping skills, and connection to other grieving children. Camper families will complete an application and interview to assess camp readiness. Campers will be supported by trained volunteers and staff who have all completed Whatcom Hospice volunteer requirements and approximately 15 hours of training. Grief camp can truly be a poignant experience. Recently at a similar camp, the children were invited to sew a special pillow made out of an article of clothing belonging to their loved one who had passed away. One boy asked for help to sew a sweatshirt, but he did not want to cut the shirt so the adult volunteer assisted the child with sewing closed the neck, waist and wrist openings, then filling the shirt with stuffing. The end result was an adult sized sweatshirt-pillow that this child carried with him throughout the camp, intermittently hugging it as he would the full-sized body of the person who had owned that precious shirt. Whatcom Hospice Foundation has committed to fund the first three years of the camp. To learn about partnership opportunities, contact Shawn Fincher at (360) 220-6231.