Children and Family Grief Camps

Funeral Misconceptions

Excerpt from Creating Meaningful Funeral Ceremonies

by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.

  • Funerals are too expensive. The social, psychological and emotional benefits of authentic funerals far outweigh their financial costs. Besides, a funeral needn't be lavishly expensive to be meaningful.
  • Funerals make us too sad. When someone loved dies, we need to be sad. Funerals provide us with a safe place in which to embrace our pain.
  • Funerals are barbaric. On the contrary, meaningful funeral ceremonies are civilized, socially binding rituals. Some people think that viewing the body is barbaric. Cultural differences aside, viewing has many benefits for survivors.
  • Funerals are inconvenient. Taking a few hours out of your week to demonstrate your love for the person who died and your support for survivors is not an inconvenience but a privilege.
  • Funerals require the body to be embalmed. Not necessarily. Depending on local regulations, funerals held shortly after the death may require no special means of preservation.
  • Funerals and cremation are mutually exclusive. A funeral (with or without the body present) may be held prior to cremation. Embalmed bodies are often cremated.
  • Funerals are only for religious people. Not true. Non-religious ceremonies (which, by the way, need not be held in a church or officiated by a clergy person) can still meet the survivor's mourning needs.
  • Funerals are rote and meaningless. They needn't be. With forethought and planning, funerals can and should be personalized rituals reflecting the uniqueness of the bereaved family.
  • Funerals should reflect what the dead person wanted. While pre-planning your funeral may help you reconcile yourself to your own mortality, funerals are primarily for the benefit of the living.
  • Funerals are only for grown-ups. Anyone old enough to love is old enough to mourn. Children, too, have the right and the privilege to attend funerals.

Children/Family Grief Camp Information in Ohio

AKRON
  • Camp Promise, Day Camp, Ages 6-11, June 14-16, 2010.
    Hospice Care Center, 3358 Ridgewood Rd, Fairlawn, OH 44333
  • Cost: None. Pre-Registration required.
  • Contact: Rochelle Sheppard, 800-335-1455, ext 4662.
  • Sponsored by Hospice of Visiting Nurse, Center for Loss and Hope

ASHLAND
  • Kidscene, Day camp, Ages 6-12, 9 am-2 pm, June 14-18, 2010. Camp Mowana (SR#42, between Ashland & Mansfield). Registration deadline – May 1, 2010
  • Cost: None, but registration and acceptance is required.
  • Contact: Diane Park, LSW; diane.park@honco.org, 800.952.2207, www.hospiceofnorthcentralohio.org
  • Sponsored by Hospice of North Central Ohio.
BELLEFONTAINE 

• Camp Hope, Overnight camp, Ages 8-18 (includes family activities), June 4-6, 2010.
• Cost: Variable
• Contacts: Michael Schoedinger, Lajes Szabo, 614-429-5754, www.schoedinger.com/grief-and-healing/camp-hope
• Sponsored by Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service, Columbus, OH.

BELLBROOK
  • Grief Share, Day camp, All ages, Every Thursday (sometimes Tuesday) evening
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: Brian Koch, 937-848-6651, www.connerandkoch.com
  • Sponsored by Conner & Koch Funeral Home, 92 W Franklin St, Bellbrook, OH; and surrounding churches.
CANTON
  • “Good Grief” Camp for Kids, Day camp, Ages 6-12
    August 9-13, 2010, 9 am – 1. Transitions™ Grief Support Center, 3801 Greenwood Pl SW, Canton, OH
  • Cost: None
  • The Thursday prior to camp, we have a “Get Acquainted” evening with children and parents at which time we meet separately with parents to outline our objectives and present our proposed agenda for the 5 days. We also discuss parent’s concerns and observations for their child.
  • Contacts: Carol A. Reed or Gloria Sanders, 330-477-6721
  • Sponsored by Reed Funeral Home, www.ReedFuneralHome.com,
CLEVELAND
  • Animal Camp, Day camp, Ages 6-12, 5 weeks offered, sign up for 1 week, The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park, Cleveland, OH 44122
  • For kids coping with cancer in the family or cancer related death
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: Kathleen McCue, 216-595-9546 www.touchedbycancer.org
COLUMBUS
  • Camp Atagahi at Wyandot – A place of healing and hope, Overnight camp, Ages 7-18, Sunday, August 1 – Saturday, August 7, 2010, an hour south of Columbus in the Hocking Hills region
  • Cost: $370. Scholarships will be available if needed
  • Contact: Amy Boyd or Margie Dooley, 614-481-8227 or email Margie@centralohiocampfire.org
  • Camp Fire USA is working in cooperation with Odyssey Health Care and other professionals to provide this service to the children of Central Ohio, www.centralohiocampfire.org
DAYTON
  • Camp Courageous
  • Day camp, Ages K-6, July 12-16, 2010, Pleasant Hill, OH.
  • Overnight camp, Grades 7-12, July 20-22, 2010, Boy Scout Training Center; Dayton, OH.
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: Anna Marie, 937-573-2100, gol@homc.org, www.homc.org
  • Sponsored by Hospice of Miami County and Generations of Life Center
  • Camp Pathways
  • Overnight camp, Ages 7-17, June 25-27, 2010; Camp Joy Outdoor Education Center; Clarksville, OH 
  • Cost: $20 for one camper, $30 for two campers, $40 for three or more campers. Scholarship assistance is available in cases of financial hardship. Advance registration by May 14, 2010, registration after this date will be on a space-available basis only.
  • Contact: Pathways of Hope, Hospice of Dayton, 937-258-4991 or 800-653-4490, ext 1135, www.hospiceofdayton.org
  • Sponsored by Hospice of Dayton

  • Teen Trek 2010
  • Overnight camp, Grades 7-12, July 20-22, 2010; Schiewetz Leadership Training Center, Dayton
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: 937-573-2100, gol@homc.org, www.homc.org/camp/
  • Sponsored by Hospice of Miami County and Generations of Life Center
GALION
  • Journey – Summer Children’s Grief Camp
  • Ages 6-14, July 29-31, 2010,
    9:30 am – 2:00 pm; Woodland Campgroup, 9045 SR19, North of Northmor High School and South of Galion
  • Cost: None but registration is necessary.
  • Contact: HomeCare Matters Home Health & Hospice, 419-468-7985 for registration packet.
  • Sponsored by HomeCare Matters, www.homecarematters.org
  • Camp BEARable
  • Overnight camp, Ages 6-16, July 23-25, 2010
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: Marlene Black @ StateoftheHeartHospice, 800-417-7535, www.stateoftheheartcare.org
  • Sponsored by State of the Heart Hospice
NEWARK
  • Children’s Bereavement Camp
  • Day camp, July 12-16, 2010; St Peters & Paul Retreat Center
  • Cost: None to campers
  • Contact: Jon Fouts, 800-804-2505
  • Sponsored by Hospice of Central OhiO
SPRINGFIELD
  • Camp Phoenix
  • Day camp, Ages 5-16, June 18, 2010; 8:30 am – 3 pm, Grace Lutheran Church, 1801 St Paris Pike
  • Cost: None
  • Contact: 937-390-9665, www.ehealthconnections.com
  • Sponsored by Community Mercy Hospice


If you know of other children/family grief camps, events and/or seminars to be added to the “Calendar of Events”, please send information to the OFDA Resource Center, Janet@OFDAonline.org, call 800.589.6332 or fax 800.507.1465.