Camp Flip Book Rev1

CAMP NABI PHOENIX RISING
SUMMER YEARBOOK
Celebrating 25 Years


I will never leave you Even though I grieve you Memories will keep you Right here in my heart


BIG BUDDIES + LITTLE BUDDIES
Big Buddies are trained volunteers who partner with Little Buddies for the weekend.
Camp would not work without our Big Buddies, trained volunteers who provide a friendly face, a sympathetic ear and, when needed, a strong shoulder to cry on.
Many of our Big Buddies have experienced their own childhood loss. Often this is the reason they volunteer. They are open to share with Little Buddies and bring a unique sensitivity and support to the grief camp process.
Teen Corps
Run, walk, load, unload, setup, break down...
Who has the most mileage on their sneakers after
camp?
Our faithful, anything goes Teen Corps Volunteers
Thank You!!






Quotes from our Campers
Grief is different for everyone and more common than I thought it was
I want to remember the trust exercises
It is good to get the bad feelings out
I really liked the drums at camp Memories never fade
Grief is like the ocean
I liked my memory jar
I found the courage to talk out my feelings and
problems
We are all connected by an invisible string Grief is like walking on a wire
I liked that I did not have to share if
I didn’t want to
My favorite was Mr. John’s drawing of the fear monster
Mr. John should make the pancakes on Saturday morning
Everyone is scared of something just not always the same thing


25 years of Camp
Celebrating 25 years of bringing grieving children and teens together through a supportive weekend camp program
The 25th year of Camp Nabi (6-12 year olds) and 15th year of Camp Phoenix Rising (13-18 year olds) is in the books as a huge success! 75 volunteers, including many Hospice of the Chesapeake staff members, hosted 49 children and teens for a full weekend bereavement camp. “Camp helps children who have experienced a recent loss begin to express emotions and learn ways to manage deep feelings of grief,” explained Sarah Montgomery, CLC counselor and clinical camp coordinator. Each camper was assigned a Big Buddy for the weekend – someone to talk to and engage with. Campers also played kickball, completed a confidence course, went crabbing and participated in paper bag dramatics (a grab bag version of charades).
Camp Nabi, a bereavement camp for children, was launched in 1991. Ten years later, teens were welcomed to their own camp, Phoenix Rising. Powerful, transformative moments at camp emerged when children begin to realize they are not alone in their grief. Betty Asplund, founder of the Bereavement Center, shared, “to do the hard work of thinking about who died, saying their name out loud and admitting it hurts as much as it really does” is the foundation upon which healing takes place. As children play and work together as a team at camp, they find strength and begin to realize that with time and help they will make it through.
Our message then and our mission now is to celebrate life, discovery and healing through a variety of support services and education to individuals in places of transition resulting from the death of a loved one, an unexpected diagnosis or an unanticipated event.


This year we infused drumming therapy into camp.
“Drumming can be used as a tool to teach an array of life skills. It provides a positive and creative outlet for young people to express themselves and release their emotions in a safe space.” Josh Robinson, percussionist/teaching artist/facilitator, said.
“I often refer to the drum as my ‘trash truck’ and ‘most reliable friend’ where I can release (or dump out) emotions and energy created from the many challenges life presents. The drum is a place where I can escape into a world where the limitations of words aren’t present and I can feel more than think about what I want to say.”
Drumming helps campers express anger, fear, sadness and other emotions through a creative teamwork approach. Campers create their own unique “beat.”
Drums


A Special Thank You to our Donors
The transformation we see in campers from Friday to Sunday is dramatic, as they transition from being apprehensive, fearful and non-communicative, to becoming comfortable, open and able to express feelings at a deeper level. They are encouraged by knowing they are, for the first time, among peers who understand what they are feeling and experiencing. Through well-designed activities and trained staff and volunteers, they learn how to address the “void” of their loss, in a safe setting, gaining strength with coping tools that they continue to use at home after camp.
The impact of our camp program and support groups on helping children and teens who are living with anxieties about a loved one’s death cannot be overstated. Many are dealing with traumatic deaths, and may not have spoken to anyone about their feelings before attending camp. Often children and teens suffer silently until they find the safety, encouragement and support they need to express their anxiety and grief.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland Janna Ashton Portraits
The Baulch Family Foundation
Bay Area Mechanical Services Inc. Birds of Prey Ravens Nest No 10 of Glen Burnie Robert & Barbara Bohan
Anne & Bob Brooks
Charter Financial Group
Datalink Interactive Inc.
DMS Construction Consulting Services, Inc. Dr. Susan Duncan & Randy Rice Evolutions Body Clinic
Fulton Financial Advisors
Thomas B. Howell, Tech USA Elizabeth Liechty
The Living Legacy Foundation
M&T Charitable Foundation George Preston Marshall Foundation Timothy McDonough, TM Designs Mid-Shore Community Foundation
Lynn Morgan, DDS, LLC
N2 Publishing
O2 Development
Joyce Phillip
Porsche of Annapolis
Quality Built Homes
Raising Roof DBA Grace Reliable Contracting Company, Inc. Tambra Ruff
Marco Sacca, Robert W. Baird & Co. Severn Savings Bank
Souza, LLC
St. Anne's Episcopal Church
Kent & Laura Strosnider
Ward & Ginny Westrick Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP Whitehall Building & Company, LLC The Wilburn Company
The Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation
The cost per child is $525; however, the only expense a family incurs is a nominal registration fee ($100). Scholarships are made available through generous donations from our community. No child, regardless of circumstance, is ever turned away from attending camp.


HOPPERS
TEAMWORK LIFE
BLUE CRABS
MEMORY JAR
TEEN CORP
STRENGTH FRIENDS
LITTLE BUDDIES
GROWTH SUMMER HEAT
ESCAPE
FRIEND
PAINTING
BIG BUDDIES
25 YEARS
SKILLS
MEMORIES
HEART
RELIEF
CAMP
BUTTERFLY 2016
FEAR MONSTER
DRUMS SAFE PLACE
BRAVERY
INVISIBLE STRING COURAGE
TRUST
TRAILS TRUST EXERCISE
FRIENDSHIP
chesapeakelifecenter.org