Registration for Camp Good Mourning is now open!
This will be a day camp on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., located at Turtle River State Park. This camp is available for children 5-18 years old who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
About Camp Good Mourning
Camp Good Mourning is held as an outdoor day camp with indoor spaces utilized as appropriate. Activities include group discussions, arts and crafts, music therapy, nature walks, and fun recreational activities. Every year, Camp Good Mourning is brought to a close with a memorial service that parents and/or guardians are invited to attend with their children. During the service a tree is planted in memory of deceased loved ones. After the ceremony, families are invited to stay and have supper with the campers.
For Children Who Grieve
Camp Good Mourning is an annual day camp, sponsored by Altru Health System. When a loss occurs that impacts a child, the effects run deep. Parents, while dealing with grief of their own, may feel incapable of responding to the symptoms of their grieving child.
Your child may be experiencing:
- Fear
- Guilt and shame
- Anger
- Regression
- Acting out
- Irritability
- Lack of feelings
- Depression
- Preoccupation with death
- Withdrawal
- Anxiety
Altru’s Camp Good Mourning provides an environment in which children ages 5-18 years old can express their feelings for the loss of a loved one. Look for registration to be open each spring annually, with the camp to be held in the summer.
Professionals and trained volunteers facilitate group sessions and activities to help children and teens express their feelings, learn healthy coping strategies and share experiences with other children who have lost a loved one due to death.
For information about Camp Good Mourning, reach out to Courtney Caron, camp coordinator, at ccaron@altru.org. For information on how to support Camp Good Mourning, please contact the Altru Health Foundation at 701.780.5000.
History of Camp Good Mourning
Camp Good Mourning began the summer of 1998 at Park River Bible near Park River, N.D. Altru’s Hospice led a grief support group for children in the Grand Forks area for six years before creating a camp. Designed to combine both fun and grief support for kids, the first camp was an instant success. We are privileged to once again offer Camp Good Mourning for children in our region who have experienced loss through death.
