Where Children Learn to Grieve and Heal
Hosted at Camp Wayne for Girls
56 Nice People Place, Preston Park, PA 18455
Happy fall!
“Camp Erin provided me with the opportunity to not feel so alone with my journey of picking myself up after losing my mom. All the staff and campers made me feel less alone in immense ways. I will never regret coming here- words cannot express how much Camp Erin has helped me by providing me with advice, kindness and help. Thank you Camp Erin.” – 2023 Camp Erin camper.
This year, at Camp Erin NYC 2023, there was laughter and tears, some hard moments and moments of joy sprinkled throughout our weekend of hope and healing. The amazing group of 55 children and teens navigated some very tough emotional moments supported by their new friends, bunk buddies and grief guides. Magic happens in a very short amount of time. It is a jumping off point for our campers and hopefully they felt the possibility of hope, the recognition they are not alone, and realized ALL their feelings are ok. Many of the camper comments reflect those thoughts and we are privileged to be by their side on their journey.
Not only is their grief journey impacted, but many campers conquered some of their biggest fears and felt so empowered and proud- climbing the rock wall, swimming in the lake and talking in front of people -to name just a few. Those are the feelings they put in their tool box of strategies gathered over the weekend, to help them when they are struggling.
One group must have given out “1000 hugs” according to their counselors. Campers come in all shapes, sizes, from divergent cultural backgrounds and with different grief stories. What this year’s group had in common was compassion. They were there for each other.
Offering Camp Erin NYC is only possible because of the overwhelming support of COPE, friends, family and community. There are truly no words that can ever express our gratitude and appreciation for EVERYONE who makes this happen in front and behind the scenes- donors, volunteers, COPE staff, “our personal cheerleaders”, Eluna and all the resources that refer families our way. It is a privilege and a gift to be a part of this community.
Try to remember to find the joy even through the darkness.
Warmest regards,
Ann and Stephanie
COPE partners with Eluna to offer Camp Erin® NYC, a FREE, weekend long grief support camp designed to help children and teenagers ages 7 – 17, who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or someone close to them.
Children and teens ages 7 to 17 attend a weekend camp experience that combines grief education and emotional support with fun, traditional camp activities. Led by bereavement professionals and caring volunteers, campers are provided a safe environment to explore their grief, learn essential coping skills, and make friends with peers who are also grieving. There is also a concurrent parent camp for caretakers of the children who attend Camp Erin NYC for a nominal fee.
“CAMP ERIN® NYC HELPED ME FIND THE PART OF ME THAT I WAS MISSING. IT MADE ME REALIZE MY DAD IS THERE AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF ME.” – CAMP ERIN ® NYC CAMPER
For more information about Camp Erin® NYC, please email Camp Director Ann Fuchs at afuchs@copefoundation.com
GET INVOLVED
Camp Erin® NYC is made possible through the support of many dedicated volunteers and donors. There are several ways to get involved. Please consider volunteering and/or donating.
Please call Ann at 914.552-6919 or email afuchs@copefoundation.com
Your support helps grieving children build a support team, forge forever friendships and gather the tools to navigate their grief journey. THEY need you and WE need your support.
To DONATE money needed for supplies and services, see link below, or make checks payable to COPE (with a note in the memo section “Camp Erin NYC”) and send to The COPE Foundation, P.O. Box 1251, Melville, NY 11747.
For more information, please call Ann Fuchs at 914.552-6919 or email afuchs@copefoundation.
COPE’s Camp Erin NYC 2023 BOWL-A-THON
Thank you to all who joined us April 24th at Frames Bowling Lounge in NYC for a night filled with fun, friends,
and food in support of Camp Erin NYC!
All proceeds go directly to providing the resources and supplies needed to put on this amazing healing weekend!
ABOUT ELUNA
Eluna is a public, 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to support children and families impacted by grief or addiction. Founded in 2000 in Seattle by former MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer, Eluna was originally called The Moyer Foundation and launched a series of programs supporting thousands of children and families annually at no cost to them. Camp Erin® is the largest national network of grief programs for bereaved children and teens, Camp Mariposa® is a national addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth impacted by a family member’s substance use disorder, and the Eluna Resource Center offers online tools, local referrals and personalized phone and email support for families experiencing grief, addiction and other related issues. For more information, please visit elunanetwork.org.
Eluna partners with bereavement programs in local communities to help fund, develop and grow Camp Erin® nationwide. For more information, please visit elunanetwork.org
Looking for important grief resources to help a child, friend or family member in your community or nationwide? We are proud to share the Eluna Resource Center. Its straightforward design makes it easy to search for articles, videos, activities, and referrals to local programs. In addition, Eluna offers free personalized recommendations with a 24-hour turn-around.