Hospice Volunteer TrainingSaturday - April 14, 2007
Beresford Emmanuel Lutheran Church
9 am - 4 pm
Tuesday - April 17, 2007
Jackson Hospital Conference Room
10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday - May 8, 2007
Sanford Centennial Hospice Cottage
9 am - 4 pm
Tuesday - June 3, 2008
Sanford Hospice, 2710 W 12th St
Sioux Falls, SD
9 am - 4 pm
Thursday - June 5, 2008
Hospital Private Dining Room, 300 S Byron Blvd
Chamberlain, SD
10 am - 5 pm
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hospital Conference Room, 1430 N Hwy
Jackson, MN
10 am - 5 pm
Pre-registration is necessary for all training. Call 605-328-4430 or 1-888-845-4470.
Living with Grief Teleconference
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Camp Jess Helps Children Deal with Adult Issues
As adults, we are expected to deal with serious issues and often have discussions about them. Children are generally not included. But the reality is that children are often at the center of these adult issues of; suicide, drugs, accidental death and long illnesses.
At Hospice, we know that kids are often left out of discussions about death and grief. Their issues involving loneliness, sadness, guilt and depression have often been overlooked or thought of as insignificant. They may also keep those feelings to themselves in fear of further burdening a grieving parent. We also know that kids grieve a little differently than adults, and that “play time”and “time to be a kid” are important parts of their growth and healing. As a child grows up and experiences different stages in their development, that grief will resurface and may need to be recognized many times over.
Now, in your mind, picture a child’s camp…chances are good that it includes activities involving, crafts, music and maybe even nature walks. Does that picture change if I tell you that this is a grief camp for kids, kids who have experienced a death in their family or of a close friend? It shouldn’t, because these are just some of the fun activities that happen at Camp Jess.
To deal with the issues of childhood grief and to help children understand that these feelings are very natural, Sanford Hospice started Camp Jess. Camp Jess is a one-day camp experience, for children ages 6-14. This year’s camp (our 12th Annual) will be held on Tuesday, July 19th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Great Bear Recreational Park in Sioux Falls, SD.
A day at Camp Jess is a day dedicated solely to the children. It’s all about them and their feelings. Mixed in with the “play time” are fun activities designed to promote healing and teach coping techniques. “Memory Boxes,” covered with lots of glue and glitter, hold a treasured picture of a parent, sibling or loved one. Letters are written to the one who died; many hold words of anger and loneliness. Teddy Bears are hugged and tears are shed. But all the activities center on the individual child and their needs. One of the most helpful aspects of Camp Jess is simply being around other kids who have gone through similar experiences.
If you know a child who would benefit from Camp Jess and would like more information, please call. Our toll free phone number is 1-888-845-4438, or in Sioux Falls call, (605) 328-4440.
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