EC AnnualReport final - Flipbook - Page 3
A letter
from our CEO
There were a lot of big feelings this year.
We know that seems obvious when talking about
a camp for grieving kids, but this summer, everything
just felt . . . extra. The happy felt happier. The heavy felt heavier.
The sharing went deeper. The connections were stronger. We gave
it 150%, and we got back even more. It was something special.
This summer, we saw more than ever how desperately kids need
a place to be with other kids who “get it” about grief. We witnessed
at camp many of the same disturbing national trends that the
media has been reporting. Throughout the last couple of years,
the news has consistently reported a huge spike in deaths
associated with alcohol, drugs, and suicide. This wave took the
lives of 186,763 Americans in 2020 alone — a 20% year-over-year
increase. At camp, as no surprise, we saw a similar rise in the
number of kids grieving these kinds of deaths.
Camper Perspective
Kristiana, age 16
“If more people learned
and were more equipped
to lend a helping hand to
someone grieving,
I think a lot more people
would feel less alone.”
We saw a rise this year in the number of campers who experienced
the death of a family member due to COVID-19; there were 13
this year. This was heartbreaking but not surprising, given that
approximately 250,000 kids in the U.S. have experienced the
death of a parent due to COVID-19.
There’s much to feel grateful for: At Experience Camps, we have
the opportunity to give these campers — all of our campers —
permission to be kids: to do a cannonball jump into a lake and drink
milkshakes and dance with wild abandon. They found space this
summer to press on the tender parts of their pain: to share, cry,
and reflect without judgment or responsibility for how that makes
someone else feel. We are proud and honored to share some of
the stories and impact of camp with you in this report. We are also
eager to share with you the new online initiatives we launched —
and more we will launch next year. Our goal: to bring thousands
more grieving kids the coping skills, connection, and joy they need
to live a life rich with possibility!
With thanks, hope, and optimism,
Sara Deren, CEO
3