Sponsor One 2023

I'M GOING TO CAMP!

I'm going to a very special camp where every camper is grieving the death of a significant person in their life.  Camp Courage is a five-day, four-night camp for children ages 6-11, and Camp Courage – Teens is a five-day, four-night camp for teens ages 12-18.  Campers get to experience the joy a summer camp setting can offer, all while connecting with others who understand the pain of grief.

Annie's Hope - The Center for Grieving Kids is a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting grieving kids, teens, and their families.  Annie's Hope provides free grief support services through 10 different programs to thousands of kids and their families each year.  All Annie's Hope programs, including Camp, are funded by grants and donations, which allows them to be offered to families free of charge.

What Camp Means to Me

Come August 15th, it will mark ten years, one whole decade, since my two sisters, Lauren and Kathleen, left this earth. Their death, unsurprisingly, rocked my entire family's world. At merely 14 years old, I was overwhelmed by the immense and diverse feelings of grief. In hopes of gaining some sense of belonging, my parents and I attended one of Annie's Hope Family Support Group sessions. I was able to connect with other kids my age who know first-hand what grief is like, which left me with a feeling of relief knowing I could go somewhere and not be the "girl whose sisters died." 

Since attending Family Support Groups, I have been extremely driven to support the mission of Annie's Hope - to support grieving children. This year will be my second year as a Camp Counselor. Last August, I began working at Annie's Hope full-time as a Program Assistant. I have been lucky enough to see how Camp provides a safe space for kids and teens to process their grief while maintaining a fun, light-hearted atmosphere. 

I am a strong believer that the presence of a solid support system can drastically alter one's grief experience. I hope by the end of the camp experience the campers will feel a sense of support that will leave a mark on their heart ten years later - as Annie's Hope has done for me. 

Why Sponsor One?

With your help and financial support, we can change the way children deal with the pain of their grief.  By sponsoring one child, we turn their sadness into joy, their loneliness into new friendships, and their fear into hope.

Below, a 13-year-old camper describes her experience at Camp Courage after the death of her father:

"I am so glad I got to come because I met people who get what I'm going through…Everyone was welcoming, no one forced me to talk, and people listened when I wanted to talk." When asked whether she would tell other grieving kids to come to Camp Courage, this camper gave a big yes, explaining, "It was super fun while teaching me about grief at the same time.  They'll never want to leave."

All funds raised by this Sponsor One campaign will directly impact the campers supported by Annie's Hope, who all have grief stories similar to the one above.

Please Donate

I hope you will partner with me on my Sponsor One campaign, so we can give grieving kids the support and hope they need.  My goal of $925 will cover the full financial value of attending Camp Courage for one camper.  Together, we can heal broken hearts and help kids feel like kids again.

All donations are tax-deductible and can be given in a number of ways.  Online donations through this page or through www.annieshope.org are completely secure.  Credit card information can be taken over the phone by calling Annie's Hope office at (314) 965-5015, or you can send a contribution directly to Annie's Hope.  Please include my name and make checks payable to Annie's Hope.

Checks should be mailed to:

Annie's Hope

Attn: Sponsor One, (camp counselor's name here)

1333 W. Lockwood

Suite 104

St. Louis, MO 63122

Also, don't forget to check with your company about matching donations.  Many companies match dollar for dollar up to a certain amount.  This is an easy way to double your impact!

I hope we can work together to Sponsor One camper!  You can learn more about Annie's Hope - The Center for Grieving Kids at www.annieshope.org.

Thank you so much for your support.