Nye County volunteers help support Las Vegas grief camp for children

Nye County volunteers helped run the 16th annual Camp Erin in Las Vegas on June 19-21, even though no children from Pahrump or the county attended this year. More than 30 Southern Nevada children and teens spent the free weekend at the bereavement camp, which paired rock climbing and team-building exercises with supervised grief sessions.

Camp Erin is a weekend overnight program for children and teens ages 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of someone significant in their lives. The three-day camp is offered free of charge and combines grief education and emotional support with traditional camp activities. Camp Erin is part of the Eluna network. The national program now includes 41 camps and serves more than 2,600 children each year, according to Nathan Adelson Hospice.

For Nye County families trying to find help after a death, the main local entry point is Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Center for Compassionate Care in Las Vegas. The Walter L. Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care, at 4131 Swenson St. in Las Vegas, was established in 2002 in response to a need for emotional and spiritual support in the community. Nathan Adelson Hospice is Southern Nevada’s only nonprofit hospice, and the center provides bereavement services free of charge along with spiritual care, caregiver support and Camp Erin.

Volunteer roles for the camp include Cabin Big Buddies, who stay overnight, and daytime volunteers, who help during the day.