Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in The Floyd Press newspaper on October 15, 2009.

At Camp Treehouse West children who have lost a loved one learn that they aren't alone. Hosted by Carilion Clinic Hospice, this year's 8th annual day camp was held at Camp Powhatan in Pulaski County on October 3rd. Serving Floyd, Radford, Giles, Pulaski and Montgomery Counties, the event is free to youths from ages 6 to 17. Parents are also encouraged to attend and receive guidance on how to support their child through the grieving process, said Renee Altizer, Carilion Clinic Hospice Manager.

Altizer explained that Camp Treehouse provides a safe place where children who have experienced a death in their family can express their feelings. "They identify with other children and know that they aren't the only one going through something this. Maybe they make a buddy that they can do things with after the camp," Altizer said.

Age appropriate group sessions led by hospice nurses and social workers are alternated with recreational activities. During the group sessions children are given a vocabulary to describe their feelings and are supported to tell their stories. "It's amazing. They come in shy and little by little they gain trust and start to open up," said hospice social worker Sharon Crane.

Each camper is paired with a mentor who has gone through a training to prepare for the role. Mentors accompany campers at recreational activities and often have had first hand experience with the grieving process.

Christiansburg school teacher Reva Douglas Brown lost her brother when she was 15. After serving as a mentor at the regional Camp Treehouse weekend last spring and seeing its value, she returned for the fall camp. "I figured I could help out and it would also be good for me."
First time mentor Dennis Khasu, who is studying for his doctorate in elementary education at Virginia Tech, said he heard about the camp's call for volunteers when it was announced on campus. Khasu lost both his parents and has been a father figure to his younger siblings. "I love to be with kids," the Malawi native said.

Fun is an important component of the Camp Treehouse experience. At the camp pavilion where craft tables were set up campers made kaleidoscopes, bird feeders, paintings, beaded jewelry, and personalized picture frames. Rock wall climbing was a popular activity, along with blowing giant bubbles, music therapy, soccer, and team building parachute games. A barbecue lunch was catered by Wildwood Smokehouse.

Altizer described the closing ceremony when campers, mentors, and staff gather together for a memorial service and release floating heart candles into a pond in memory of lost loved ones. "The names are read out and the chaplain does a closing prayer. It's a nice ending to a full day," she said.

Along with new friendships, each camper goes home with a journal and a blanket, handmade by a local chapter of Project Linus, a group that gifts children with blankets and quilts as a way to bolster their sense of security. ~ Colleen Redman

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