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Joy. Wonder. Delight. Grief. These feelings are all deeply associated with the holiday season, but that last one isn’t talked about much. Talking about grief has become even more urgent during the pandemic, with 86% of Americans now saying grief should be addressed as an important mental health issue. Yet, 70% of adults don’t have the skills they need, saying they’re often unsure what to do or say when someone they care about is grieving. 

Experience Camps is seeking to change that by championing the nation’s 5.3 million bereaved children running no-cost programs that help grieving children thrive. The organization focuses on kids who have gone through the death of a sibling or parent/primary caregiver, organizing week-long overnight summer camps and year-round programs to help children build the community and coping skills they need to thrive. 

To hear hard-won insights from nearly 450,000 hours with grieving kids and actionable ideas for supporting others through grief, we welcomed to the show Sara Deren, founder and CEO (that’s Chief Experience Officer) of Experience Camps. 

Listen for Sara’s insights on: 

• Why it’s important to ‘Talk About Grief,’ and how you can have hard conversations in constructive ways. 
• How Experience Camps is navigating a 500% increase in demand over the last five years, expanding programming and resources to meet the unprecedented need. 
• The lifelong impacts that healthy coping skills can provide grieving children, and how Experience Camps extends support beyond camp sessions. 

If you or a loved one is struggling with grief this holiday season, or want to help someone who is, please find grief resources here. If you would like to light a virtual candle for a loved one, please click here.

Links & Notes

• About Experience Camps
• The Issue
• Donate to Experience Camps
• Grief Resources
• Sara Deren on LinkedIn

• (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360