Children's Healing camp needs help

By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
The Healing Hearts Day Camp for grieving children is currently recruiting volunteers and campers for their upcoming event to be held at Spring Park in Tuscumbia May 5.
The day camp is an event to help children who have experienced the death of a loved one cope with their loss.
"Our goal is to let the children express their anger, sadness, and other feelings so that those feelings don't turn into a bigger problem in the child's life," Nancy Cooper, program coordinator at the Healing Place, said.
Each child will be given a special adult buddy, and will be given an opportunity to meet other children going through the same experience.
"We believe that if a child is old enough to love, they are old enough to grieve," Cooper said.
She also added that children typically act out their grief in their play while using toys.
At the end of the day, a memorial service will be held for the children and their families to help them in the grieving process.
"The memorial service is a time for the children to remember and honor their lost loved one with their family," Cooper.
The camp is for children who have ever experienced the loss of a loved one, even if that person died before they were born.
"A lot of times when a child losses a parent before they are born, they still feel the loss in their life," Cooper said.
While the day's festivities focus on the children, the camp needs adult volunteers to be a success. They are currently recruiting volunteers for various projects from special buddy to the clean up crew.
All volunteers must complete a training session which will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Russellville on Sunday, April 29 at 4 p.m.
"The training will help the volunteers better communicate with the children and give them more information on their jobs," Cooper said.
For more information on the camp or to become a volunteer , contact The Healing Place at 256-383-7133.