The Shore Update interviewed Jessica Willis, as she spoke about how Camp New Dawn helped their journey to healing after the loss of her father in May of 2024. Camp New Dawn is a three-day, two-night grief retreat for children, teens and families who are struggling with the loss of a loved one. Campers learn healthy coping skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Story from the Shore Update -
"In May of 2024, the Willis family abruptly lost Charles Willis. Dealing with the loss of a beloved father and grandfather, the family felt lost and confused. With some encouragement, they signed up for Compass’ Camp New Dawn to help process their grief and to connect with others dealing with loss. Jessica Willis, Charles’ daughter, shares what she learned about dealing with grief and how Camp New Dawn impacted her and her four children’s lives.
Jessica says that Charles was “the foundation of our family.” “He lived 45 minutes away from us, and he was there and involved in everything,” Jessica remembers. On March 4th he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Just two months later, on May 11th, he passed away. “It all happened so quickly,” Jessica explains. “By the time we began to understand what was happening, he was gone.”
Jessica’s mother had been a hospice nurse for over twelve years. She implored Jessica to sign up the family for Camp New Dawn. “I had known about it for years,” Jessica said, “But I had never pictured myself having to be an attendee.”
The adult side of the retreat had so much to do including an opening ceremony, river boat dinner and bonfire, Jessica recounts. During the icebreakers, there even was a drum facilitator, Josh Robinson, performing therapeutic drumming. “I wouldn’t have expected it, but I really let myself go during the drumming,” Jessica said. “It’s very physical and it’s an incredible release of emotions and feelings.” The most cathartic activity for Jessica happened when they all came together as a family and created a scrapbook in honor of Charles to present to other families during the closing ceremony.
Eleven years old when her grandfather passed, Jessica’s daughter, Aurora, was having a difficult time, especially with opening up. When she left Camp New Dawn, Jessica says Aurora was “a lot more open with her emotions. I think it gave her a sense of community and understanding that other people are going through similar feelings.” Aurora left Camp New Dawn with a handful of “new and awesome friends” with whom she has stayed in touch. Jessica’s children kept drums they made with their drum facilitator. Her son, Sonny, kept a note he wrote to his grandfather at Camp New Dawn.
To other families dealing with the loss of a loved one, Jessica recommends patience with oneself and being willing to ask for help. Based on her experience, Jessica says, “My advice is to remain open and honest, give yourself grace, and to not be afraid to look for help. Being the daughter of a hospice nurse, I wasn’t sure if Camp New Dawn would be right for us, but I am eternally grateful for my family’s experience there. It was the first time I was able to let go and open up.” Jessica also makes sure to regularly talk about Charles with her children as a way to honor his memory and to make sure they are not afraid to ask questions or express their feelings."
Camp New Dawn takes the essential ingredients of summer camp—fun and friendship—and adds activities that help children and teens express what it feels like to lose someone who they love. This year’s Camp New Dawn kicks off on Saturday, August 9th at 11:00 am, when our groups arrive at Camp Pecometh. The campers attend therapeutic workshops, age specific grief support groups and may participate in supervised camp activities such as swimming, fishing, and arts and crafts. The retreat for campers wraps up after the closing ceremony on Monday, August 11th at 4:30 pm.
Camp New Dawn also includes an overnight adult and family retreat that begins on Sunday, August 10th. While their campers are busy learning how to cope with their grief, parents and guardians are invited to attend the adult retreat designed to help restore participants to a place of wholeness as they learn to navigate their own grief journey. The family portion of Camp New Dawn provides the adults 24 hours of respite before their children join them on Monday, August 11th. This is also an opportunity for them to explore where they are in their grief. While the children do great work at camp it is important for them to work on grief together as a family. Our hope is they will have some great tools to take back home to continue to process their grief and heal as a family. The family camp will conclude on Tuesday, August 12th.
For more information, to register, or become a volunteer for Camp New Dawn, contact Rhonda Knotts, Camp New Dawn director, Compass, 443-262-4109, rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org.
Applications can also be downloaded from Compass’ website: https://compassregionalhospice.org/camp-new-dawn.html.
