Hospice of Laurens County Seeking Volunteers for Annual Children’s Grief Day Camp

The loss of a loved one is devastating to a child. Hospice of Laurens County’s program, Jaime’s Tree House, is a grief outreach program for children who have experienced a death in their family.  The first Jaime’s Tree House Grief Day-Camp was held Saturday, June 16, 2007, with 28 kids. There have been held 18 camps since then, the most recent of which was Saturday, November 14, 2020.

Hospice of Laurens County is seeking volunteers for their annual children’s grief day camp, Jaime’s Tree House, scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 2021, at the M.S. Bailey Laundry Event Space located on Thornwell’s Campus form 8-3. It is a wonderful way to support children in our community who have lost a loved one. If you are interested in volunteering, click here for more information and to complete the volunteer application.

Jaime’s Tree House was founded in 2006 by Hospice of Laurens County in memory of young Miss Jaime Reeder, the youngest daughter of the late Marian Reeder. Marian Reed, who herself died in 2014, served the Laurens County community as the Director of Case Management at Laurens Memorial Hospital for many years and as a Board Member for Hospice of Laurens County. Marian’s youngest daughter, Jaime Reeder, died of a rare childhood cancer, at age 7 in 1994. Her favorite color was RED. The night before Jaime passed away, she drew a picture of her “house in the sky” replete with birds, flowers and butterflies and oddly “on stilts” as if symbolic of her imminent journey to her heavenward home!

Jaime’s Tree House is the program under which Hospice of Laurens County organizes its grief outreach for children who have experienced a death in their family. Through follow-up with families of former hospice patients, outreach efforts by volunteers and hospice staff and through the help of local school systems, Hospice of Laurens County seeks to identify children that have experienced the loss of a significant person in their lives and continue to struggle with the grief associated with that loss. During Jamie’s Tree House Bereavement Day-Camp, counselors interact with children through games, crafts and activities. The interactions are tailored to allow the children to share their stories of loss and experiences with grief. The bereavement camp offers a safe place to voice feelings and achieve progress in dealing with loss.

It’s one day. One day for these children to come together with others and participate in activities that will help them process their grief and loss.  It’s one day that matters to children who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

Click on the images below to view photos of previous camps.