California-based Hoffmann Hospice has established a grief camp designed for children and teens who are mourning a first responder.

The nonprofit first launched the camp in 2023 with a second iteration planned for this year. The organization expects 10 to 12 participants in 2024, compared to about 30 for their more general grief programs for children, according to Ryan D’Amato, family support manager for Hoffmann Hospice.

Hoffman Hospice cares for roughly 300 patients per day. The program, branded as Hearts for Heroes Art Camp, offers a full day of counseling, art and other therapeutic activities, D’Amato said.

“Our first responders put themselves on the line for us. They protect our families. They provide wonderful services to us in our time of need,” D’Amato told Hospice News. “We look at this camp as a way to come alongside them and provide comfort to their families in their time of need, especially when they lose someone near and dear to them.”

Children and teens who lost a parent, sibling or other family member who was a law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, firefighter or other first responder are eligible to participate.

The camp features activities like arts and crafts, music, writing, discussion groups to teach coping skills and help them express their feelings. They also engage in remembrance activities such as one called “Compassion Creek,” in which the participants decorate black stones that they place in a nearby stream to honor their fallen loved one.

“Our first responders, they have a very strong community, and so having something special for them creates a safe environment,” D’Amato said. “We can meet their unique needs. We have kids who lost a parent in the line of duty, and they can get more individualized attention in a smaller camp.” 

First responders routinely put their lives at risk for the sake of their communities. In 2022, 94 firefighters died in the line of duty, including 62 who were killed due to activities at an emergency incident, the U.S. Fire Administration reported.

Last year, 118 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

“We provide therapeutic ways for kids to creatively understand what grief is, and then we also teach them coping skills and how to navigate through their grief and a healthy way,” D’Amato told Hospice News.