5440 Harvest Hill Road 972.960.9981
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FAQ Brochure
2013 Camper Registration Form
FAQ Brochure
Prospective Volunteer Application
Returning Volunteer Application
-May 9th Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth Interviews 4-7PM
-May 18th Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth Interviews 10AM-12PM
-May 20th Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth Interviews 4-7PM
-June 1st Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth volunteer training (new: 9-4, returning: 1-4)
-June 29th Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth Save Your Spot Pre-Camp Event
-July 19-21 Camp Erin Dallas/Fort Worth
Camp Erin is a weekend-long experience for children and teens who have experienced the death of someone close to them. It is a traditional, fun, high-energy camp combined with grief education, peer bonding, and emotional support. Download Camp Erin Brochure.
Through an initial grant from The Moyer Foundation and generous donations from the community and volunteers, Camp Erin is FREE to all campers.
July 19-21, 2013. Activities begin Friday afternoon and end Sunday afternoon.
Camp Erin will take place at Texoma Youth Camp, located just minutes west of Denison, Texas on the beautiful shores of Lake Texoma. Families are responsible for their own transportation to and from camp.
Camp Erin is open to children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who have experienced the death of someone close to them.
Potential campers will be required to fill out an application form containing personal and bereavement information. Because we want to ensure the best possible experience for every camper, each applicant will be reviewed in detail and will include an interview before the application process is complete. Due to the large number of applicants expected, campers will be selected on a first come, first serve basis. In the event that we have more applications than camper spots, we will add potential campers to a waiting list in the order that the applications were received.
There will be many summer camp activities as well as grief activities for campers of all ages and abilities. These may include: games, boating, swimming, sharing, arts and crafts, sports, music, luminaries, and more.
Camp Erin is staffed by licensed professional counselors from ChristianWorks for Children as well as trained volunteers.
Camp Erin is made possible through the support of many volunteers. Volunteers are needed to serve as "Big Buddies" and as support staff to assist with many camp activities. For information on how to volunteer for this extraordinary annual weekend, please contact Kristina Stephens at kstephens@christian-works.org.
Each camper is assigned an adult volunteer, a "Big Buddy," with whom they will spend the camp weekend. Each Big Buddy must participate in a mandatory training session to prepare for working with the children. The individual support and attention that these adults provide is part of what makes Camp Erin so special.
The Moyer Foundation – (a public, 501c3 organization) was founded in 2000 by World Series-Champion, Major League All-Star pitcher, Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen. The Foundation's mission is to help children in distress. With the community's support, The Moyer Foundation creates and funds programs that directly serve the needs of children in physical, emotional or financial distress.
The Foundation's largest initiative is Camp Erin, named in memory of Erin Metcalf, a young woman who developed liver cancer at the age of 15. Karen and Jamie Moyer met Erin during Spring Training in 1998, and they developed a special friendship with Erin and her family. In June of 2000, when Erin died at the age of 17, the Moyers wished to honor Erin's memory and her caring spirit. Because Erin had such a desire to help other children, the Moyers felt that a grief camp for children would be an appropriate tribute to her caring spirit.
With over 40 camps in 25 states and one in Canada, Camp Erin is the largest bereavement camp in the country, serving nearly 2,500 children annually. With the community's support, The Moyer Foundation plans to establish as many as 60 new camps nationwide- including at least one camp in every Major League Baseball city. The Moyer Foundation named ChristianWorks for Children as their partner in the Fall of 2009 to establish Camp Erin – Dallas / Fort Worth.
Click here to be directed to The Moyer Foundation's website.
Camp Erin accepts staff, volunteers, and campers of any religion or faith or of no practicing religion or faith. It does not encourage or discourage the practice of religion during its bereavement camp, nor does Camp Erin discriminate against or promote the practice of one religion over another. Children will be allowed, however, to grieve their loss in the way that is most appropriate and comfortable to them. No child will be prevented from accessing his/her faith during the weekend if that is what a camper wishes to do.
For immediate support options, contact the director of GriefWorks, Larry Barber, by email at lbarber@christian-works.org or by phone at 972-960-9981.
GriefWorks, providing grief support group services without charge for children ages 5-18 and their adult family members, is a ministry of ChristianWorks for Children. At GriefWorks, experienced, trained grief group facilitators listen to children's hurts and guide them in individual, age-divided groups. One-on-one grief counseling at an affordable fee is also available when needed. GriefWorks provides a supportive, safe, and confidential setting for children to deal with grief in a healthy way.
While Camp Erin only accepts applicants ages 6-17, GriefWorks will accept participants ages 5-18. Please contact them for more information about their ongoing support program.
Camp Erin is supported and funded in part by The Moyer Foundation along with donations from people who share a common interest in providing support for grieving children and teens. Your individual contribution of time, money, or supplies would benefit and bless this program.
Kristina Stephens, MA, LPC
Director, Camp Erin – Dallas / Fort Worth
972-960-9981
kstephens@christian-works.org
5440 Harvest Hill Road 972.960.9981
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