Camp Erin
Camp Erin
The June 2024 overnight Camp Erin session is full. Please use the link below to share your contact information to be notified of future camp sessions. Thank you!
Camp Erin® Portland is a program of Providence Hospice of Oregon in partnership with Eluna. We offer ongoing outreach, resources, and support services to grieving youth and families in Oregon & SW Washington.
Camp Erin Portland Summer Camp is a free, weekend-long bereavement camp for youth grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. Children and teens ages 6 to 17 attend an overnight camp experience that combines grief education and emotional support with fun, traditional camp activities. Led by bereavement professionals and caring volunteers, campers are provided a safe environment to explore their grief, learn essential coping skills, and make friends with peers who are also grieving. Summer camp is normally held in June.
Camp Erin Portland Family Day Camp is a free bereavement camp for youth ages 5-17 and their adult caregivers and/or other family members grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. Families attend a day camp experience that combines grief education and emotional support with fun, traditional camp activities. Led by bereavement professionals and caring volunteers, families are provided a safe environment to explore their grief, learn essential coping skills, and experience community with other families who are also grieving.
The Family Day Camp is normally held in October.
Camp Erin Portland is part of Eluna's national Camp Erin network. For more information, please visit elunanetwork.org.
Camp Erin Portland is a free, weekend bereavement camp for youth who are grieving the death of significant person in their lives. Children and teens ages 6 to 17 attend a weekend camp experience that combines grief education and emotional support with fun, traditional camp activities. Led by bereavement professionals and caring volunteers, campers are provided a safe environment to explore their grief, learn essential coping skills, and make friends with peers who are also grieving.
We normally begin accepting registration forms in March for the coming summer. Campers are enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis based on age and availability. We accept registrations up until the week of camp. However, our camp fills up quickly so we often operate with a waiting list.
Camp Erin is facilitated by professional bereavement staff of Providence Hospice and specially-trained volunteers. Staff and volunteers lead grief activities and sharing times, supervise recreation, and provide support to campers throughout the weekend. We have a ratio of 1 adult for every 1 camper. Registered nurses are available on-site at all times to dispense medications and respond to any medical concerns which may arise.
No, Camp Erin is offered free of charge to all families. Camp Erin Portland is funded by the generous support of Providence Hospice, the Providence Foundations, The Eluna Network, and many individuals and businesses in the community who donate their time and resources to Camp Erin.
No, teenagers participate in specialized camp activities designed to meet their needs and interests.
While at camp, your child will stay in a cabin with other campers of the age group. Each cabin includes at least two trained volunteers (called Big Buddies) who will support the campers throughout the weekend. Each cabin also has a private restroom and shower. Each age cohort is supported by a mental health professional that is assigned to that cohort.
We ask parents/guardians to transport their campers to and from camp. A parent or guardian needs to be at camp on the Friday it starts by 3 p.m. with their camper(s) and should return Sunday by noon. If transportation is a barrier, let us know.
Once your registration is received we will contact you by phone to talk more about your child(ren) and answer any questions you may have about camp. During that call we will schedule you and your family to attend a mandatory Camper Orientation.
We are always looking for volunteers to join us at Camp Erin! Whether it is for the whole weekend or just a few hours, there are a variety of ways to get involved. Please note, family members, guardians, and caregivers cannot volunteer at camp during the same year their child is a camper.
In addition to Camp Erin, Providence Hospice offers a family grief group that meets in eight-week sessions in the fall and winter. Support groups and community educational services are available for individuals of all ages. Please contact Bereavement Services at 503-215-4622 to discuss the types of support that would be most helpful for you and your family.
There are many ways to volunteer at Camp Erin! Volunteers can serve for the full camp weekend or can join us as one-day volunteers at camp. Volunteers in a camper-focused role provide emotional support for campers, act as good listeners and companions, and contribute to the supervision of campers at all times. Full-weekend volunteers are required to attend training prior to camp.
Other volunteer jobs include setting up for camp, working behind the scenes to organize supplies and make sure things run smoothly, or working on projects outside of the camp weekend. Camp Erin volunteers work together in conjunction with other members of the Camp Erin team. Training and orientation are provided in advance.
Please Send us an email or call 503-215-4829 for more information on volunteer opportunities.
Donations Camp Erin is offered free of charge to families, so we truly rely on your support. Help us buy supplies from our current Amazon Wishlist. Make a secure, online contribution. Or mail a check to:
Providence Hospice/Camp Erin
6410 NE Halsey St.
Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
We also welcome gift card donations to support purchase of the many supplies we need for Camp. If you would like to donate a gift card, here are some suggestions:
- Grocery stores (Costco, Fred Meyer, Safeway, etc.)
- Art and craft supply stores Pharmacies (Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc.)
Please mail gift cards to the above address.
Thank you for supporting grieving children and families at Camp Erin!
Grieving as a child or teen can be a very lonely experience. Often the child or teen is the only one in their class who has experienced the death of someone close to them. At a time in life when “fitting in” can feel very important, grief can make them feel different and isolated. Camp Erin creates space for grieving children and teens to be with peers who have similar experiences and feelings. This can normalize their own situation—knowing they are not alone can be a big relief for grieving youth.
Camp Erin helps grieving youths to understand that what they are experiencing, though painful, is normal. It helps them to see that they are not alone. Through a variety of activities, rituals, and conversations, grieving children and teens find avenues to express their feelings and to honor and remember the person or people who died.
The activities offered at Camp Erin may be slightly different from year to year. You can expect activities like these:
- Swimming
- Arts and crafts
- Memorial rituals
- Archery
- Teen challenge course
- Music
- Small group conversations
- Storytelling
- Campfires
- Fishing
A loss affects the whole family and Providence Hospice believes that healing happens in the family. Camp Erin benefits families by involving them in ongoing conversations and events that explore ways to better understand and support one another. Family members, supportive adults, and members of the community can be important allies in a child or teen’s process of healing through grief.
View other services we offer to children, teens, adults, families and the community.
Eluna mission is to support children, teens and families impacted by grief or addiction. Founded in 2000, they offer community-building camps, interpersonal connections and a continuum of support for youth and families. Eluna’s three signature programs are provided at no cost: Camp Erin, the largest grief camp network for school-aged youth and their families; Camp Mariposa, an addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth ages 9-17; and the Eluna Resource Center, which provides research-based education and personalized support. Eluna has supported over 50,000 youth campers and their families through our network of partnerships with over 50 non-profit community organizations across the US and Canada.
The New York Life Foundation is the major vehicle through which New York Life Insurance Company channels contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports organizations, programs and services that target young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement support. New York Life has been a supporter of Camp Erin since 2009.
- 1 World Chorus
- Angel Quilters for a Cause
- Art with Heart
- Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP)
- Coffee Creek Quilters
- Making is Medicine
- Motion Magic
- Portland Modern Quilt Guild
- Providence Federal Credit Union
- Synergo
- Westside Quilters Guild
Do you have a special talent or ideas to share? Does your organization want to get involved? Please reach out to the Camp Coordinator and let’s chat!