Grief camps for children, youth set for July

Mountain Valley will be offering two grief camps for children and youth this year.

The camps will be at Dobson First Baptist Church in Dobson on July 19, and at Jack Dalton Park in Collinsville, Virginia, a week earlier on July 12.

“When children experience the loss of a loved one, they often grapple with complex emotions and challenges as they navigate grief and try to make sense of their feelings,” Mountain Valley officials said.

Mountain Valley, a local hospice and palliative care organization, “is here to help. Through the Love’s PEAK program, which stands for Providing Empathy and Assurance for Kids, the organization offers both pediatric hospice services and bereavement support for children who have experienced a loss.”

The grief camps are designed to be a fun, free day for children, ages 5 — 12, and teens aged 13 — 16, who have experienced a loss or are expecting a loss in the near future. “Through art, music, and other fun activities kids come together in a therapeutic environment, learning that mourning is not a process of forgetting but a way of remembering with less pain,” organizers said.

“Grief Camp is important, because it provides a relaxed, fun-filled environment where a child can express their sorrow while making connections with other children who have experienced similar loss,” said Kristie Byrd, director of patient advocacy.

Love’s PEAK camps are free to all families with children and teens who have or are experiencing grief. Learn more about the camps and register through the Mountain Valley website at https://www.mtnvalleyhospice.org/camp2024/.

The Love’s PEAK program also offers continuous support for young individuals who are grieving over the loss of a loved one. For more information on Love’s PEAK, contact Byrd or Stephanie Tilley at 1-888-789-2922.

Mountain Valley is a nonprofit organization providing end-of-life care in 18 counties in North Carolina and Virginia. Through its team of hospice professionals and trained volunteers, Mountain Valley addresses the growing need for compassionate hospice care. Mountain Valley also owns and operates two hospice inpatient facilities: The Joan & Howard Woltz Hospice Home in Dobson and the SECU Hospice Care Center in Yadkinville. Both offer a homelike setting for patients and families.

“The goal for both facilities is to help families be as comfortable as possible as they stay close by their loved one during this time when families are needed most,” the organization said. For more information, visit www.mtnvalleyhospice.org.