Camp Erin
A Specialized Weekend for Children and Teens Grieving the Loss of a Loved One
Childhood should be a time filled with laughter, discovery and love. But when children experience the loss of a loved one, their lives can be filled with challenges that make enjoyment, happiness, and understanding difficult to achieve. Providence Hospice and Home Care developed Camp Erin in response to the special needs of grieving children and teens.
What We Do
Camp Erin provides a caring environment, filled with activities to assist children and teens coping with loss. It is a free weekend camp for youth ages 6 to 17 who have experienced a loss. Camp Erin offers a special combination of fun recreational activities and supportive discussions to help campers build their trust, self-esteem and coping skills. Age-appropriate groups of children and teens provide an opportunity to meet with peers who have had similar feelings and experiences. Planned activities allow for sharing of feelings and concerns, friendship building, and fun. All of the following activities are led and sponsored by pediatric specialists and trained volunteers:
- Art Therapy
- Story Telling
- Recreational Activities
- Swimming
- Music
- Healing Rituals
- Nature Walks
- Grief Workshops
"Big Buddies"
Two adult Big Buddies are assigned to each cabin. Each Big Buddy is required to attend eight hours of specialized training before interacting with campers. If you are interested in giving your time to make a difference in the life of a grieving child, please contact our Coordinator of Volunteers at (425) 261-4808.
Registration
Camp Erin is free for those who participate, but registration is required. For more information or to register, please call (425) 261-4807. Visit Calendar of Events for the upcoming camp dates.
History of Camp Erin
In 2000, Seattle Mariner Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen approached Providence Hospice and Home Care with their desire to establish a new bereavement service for Snohomish County -- CAMP ERIN -- a weekend grief camp for kids, designed to counsel children and teenagers who have experienced the death of a loved one.
The proceeds from the 2001 Jamie Moyer Bowling Tournament enabled the Moyer Foundation, Karen and Jamie Moyer’s 501(c)(3) public foundation, and Providence Hospice and Home Care to establish an endowment to fund Camp Erin’s operating costs. The camp is named after Erin Metcalf, a 17-year-old hospice patient, who died in 2000 and was a close friend of the Moyer family.