By Amaryllis Baena - Catholic Hospice
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Maylen Montoto, left, director of Community Development for Catholic Hospice, and Bonnie Alkema, executive director of Catholic Hospice, pose with Alfredo Mesa, executive director of the Marlins Foundation. The Miami Marlins Foundation staged a cocktail reception Nov. 8 to celebrate the Moyer Foundation grant that will enable Catholic Hospice to stage Camp Erin, a free bereavement camp for kids, twice a year in South Florida.
MIAMI | The Moyer Foundation has awarded Catholic Hospice a grant to establish Camp Erin® in South Florida, a free bereavement camp designed for children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of someone close to them.
Catholic Hospice has been addressing the needs of grieving children in the South Florida community by providing a similar camp called Camp Hope for the past 15 years. In the new partnership between The Moyer Foundation and Catholic Hospice, Camp Hope will be renamed Camp Erin and hosted twice a year, doubling the number of children that will be served.
Facilitated by Catholic Hospice professionals and volunteers from the South Florida Community, Camp Erin South Florida will be a free weekend-long experience filled with traditional, fun camp activities, combined with grief education and emotional support. Grieving children will be offered tools and resources to cope with their grief, have the opportunity to address their feelings and memorialize their loved ones. The Moyer Foundation grant will help fund the Catholic Hospice’s South Florida camp operations during the next 10 years.
The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to empower children in distress by providing education and support, helping them to live healthy and inspired lives. It was founded in 2000 by Major League Baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer, and his wife, Karen. Created and funded by the foundation, Camp Erin is the largest network of bereavement camps in the United States.
Annually, Camp Erin serves more than 2,500 children at nearly 40 camp locations including a camp in every Major League Baseball city. The Miami Marlins Community Foundation hosted a cocktail reception Nov. 8 to celebrate the awarding of the grant to Catholic Hospice.
“Knowing how important grief support is in the life of a grieving child, Karen and I are thrilled to partner with Catholic Hospice to bring Camp Erin to South Florida where there is such a large need,” said Jamie Moyer, president and co-founder of The Moyer Foundation.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1.5 million children are living in a single-family household because of the death of one parent. One out of every 20 children age 15 and younger will suffer the loss of one or both parents. These statistics don’t account for the number of children who lose a “parental figure,” such as a grandparent or other relative that provides care, a sibling, friend, etc. Without support, statistics show these youths are at a higher risk for poverty, substance abuse, depression and suicide.
“Catholic Hospice is proud to be affiliated with The Moyer Foundation and the opportunity to bring the nationally acclaimed Camp Erin to South Florida,” said Bonnie Alkema, executive director for Catholic Hospice. “This partnership will promote excellence in bereavement care for children in the South Florida community.”
The 2013 Camp Erin of South Florida will be held from Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17 at Camp Owaissa Bauer in Homestead. Please contact Maritza Lopez at 305-351-7026 to register a child for Camp Erin, request more information, or find out how to volunteer.
Catholic Hospice is a not-for-profit health care organization providing end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Catholic Hospice is dedicated to the preservation of the quality of life of people facing end of life issues. They provide pain control and symptom management, as well as spiritual and psychological support to over 550 patients and their bereaved families daily, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, ethnic background, handicap, diagnosis or financial resources. Catholic Hospice also sponsors programs such as the L’chaim Jewish Hospice Program, Wish Granted program and other bereavement support groups.
Catholic Hospice has been addressing the needs of grieving children in the South Florida community by providing a similar camp called Camp Hope for the past 15 years. In the new partnership between The Moyer Foundation and Catholic Hospice, Camp Hope will be renamed Camp Erin and hosted twice a year, doubling the number of children that will be served.
Facilitated by Catholic Hospice professionals and volunteers from the South Florida Community, Camp Erin South Florida will be a free weekend-long experience filled with traditional, fun camp activities, combined with grief education and emotional support. Grieving children will be offered tools and resources to cope with their grief, have the opportunity to address their feelings and memorialize their loved ones. The Moyer Foundation grant will help fund the Catholic Hospice’s South Florida camp operations during the next 10 years.
The mission of The Moyer Foundation is to empower children in distress by providing education and support, helping them to live healthy and inspired lives. It was founded in 2000 by Major League Baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer, and his wife, Karen. Created and funded by the foundation, Camp Erin is the largest network of bereavement camps in the United States.
Annually, Camp Erin serves more than 2,500 children at nearly 40 camp locations including a camp in every Major League Baseball city. The Miami Marlins Community Foundation hosted a cocktail reception Nov. 8 to celebrate the awarding of the grant to Catholic Hospice.
“Knowing how important grief support is in the life of a grieving child, Karen and I are thrilled to partner with Catholic Hospice to bring Camp Erin to South Florida where there is such a large need,” said Jamie Moyer, president and co-founder of The Moyer Foundation.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1.5 million children are living in a single-family household because of the death of one parent. One out of every 20 children age 15 and younger will suffer the loss of one or both parents. These statistics don’t account for the number of children who lose a “parental figure,” such as a grandparent or other relative that provides care, a sibling, friend, etc. Without support, statistics show these youths are at a higher risk for poverty, substance abuse, depression and suicide.
“Catholic Hospice is proud to be affiliated with The Moyer Foundation and the opportunity to bring the nationally acclaimed Camp Erin to South Florida,” said Bonnie Alkema, executive director for Catholic Hospice. “This partnership will promote excellence in bereavement care for children in the South Florida community.”
The 2013 Camp Erin of South Florida will be held from Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17 at Camp Owaissa Bauer in Homestead. Please contact Maritza Lopez at 305-351-7026 to register a child for Camp Erin, request more information, or find out how to volunteer.
Catholic Hospice is a not-for-profit health care organization providing end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Catholic Hospice is dedicated to the preservation of the quality of life of people facing end of life issues. They provide pain control and symptom management, as well as spiritual and psychological support to over 550 patients and their bereaved families daily, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, ethnic background, handicap, diagnosis or financial resources. Catholic Hospice also sponsors programs such as the L’chaim Jewish Hospice Program, Wish Granted program and other bereavement support groups.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Catholic Hospice employees Amy Baena, Inma Murga, Maylen Montoto and Gloria Gamez get ready to greet guests at the Camp Erin reception at Marlins Park.
