chameleon's journey grief camp

a program of VIA Health Partners

Volunteering at Chameleon’s Journey Grief Camp

by Sarah Little , School Counselor at South Point High School

In 2021, my husband and I attended a fundraiser for Camp Thunderbird, where a teen shared how Chameleon's Journey had positively impacted her life. This event took place at the end of Covid restrictions, and life in the school counseling world was slowly returning to normal. We noticed an increasing number of students grappling with grief-related concerns. Inspired by the event, I revisited some old brochures about Chameleon's Journey, wondering if the camp could help my current students. During that research, I discovered that Chameleon's Journey Grief Camp welcomed community volunteers.

Grief counseling has always been a crucial aspect of school counseling, and many students are profoundly affected by the loss of a loved one, impacting various aspects of their lives, especially at school. Knowing how important this work can be for youth, I was inspired to submit a volunteer application and embark on the process of becoming a camp counselor.

From the first contact with Walt Windley, Camp Director, it was evident that Chameleon's Journey was a special program. Every person involved in CJC displayed a passion for helping children and teens process and live with grief. This dedication, coupled with the support of VIA Healthcare professionals and other community members, has been the driving force behind my continued involvement as a volunteer.

Another factor that has kept me coming back is witnessing the immense joy participants experience at camp. Initially, I was hesitant about the potential emotional challenges involved in a camp designed around processing grief. While there are opportunities to explore the various emotions stemming from grief, the weekend is filled with smiles, giggles, late-night gossiping, and healthy competition. Seeing the kids bond with others who share similar life experiences is truly rewarding.  Chameleon's Journey goes beyond just addressing the challenges of grief; it fosters a sense of community, joy, and authenticity for the participants. 

During one of the end-of-camp reflection sessions, a camper shared that being at camp gave her the chance to discuss things that no one else in her teenage life could comprehend. It was the only time since the death of her parents that she felt she could truly be herself. Serving as a CJC counselor is a remarkable honor, and I look forward to continuing to volunteer for years to come.

  To learn more about Chameleon’s Journey Camp or VIA Health Partners, visit www.chameleonsjourney.org  or www.viahp.org .

To learn more about Volunteering with VIA Health Partners, visit us at:

www.chameleonsjourney.org/volunteer-application

www.viavolunteering.org

About VIA Health Partners

VIA Health Partners began as Hospice at Charlotte, the state’s first hospice, in 1978 and then operated under the name Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region (HPCCR) for decades before its name change to VIA Health Partners in 2023. Today VIA Health Partners serves 3,500 patients each day for hospice and palliative care services. Our service area encompasses 14 counties in North Carolina--Burke, Catawba, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Rutherford, Stanly, and Union. Its service area in South Carolina includes Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties.

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HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE

Charlotte’s grief camp, chameleon’s journey, celebrates 19 years caring for the community.

by Press Release | Oct 4, 2018 | Bottom Right Box , Hospice & Palliative Care Lake Norman , News

Since its inception in 2000, the annual overnight camp, held at Camp Thunderbird in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, has served over 1,500 campers, ages 7-17.   The grief camp revolves around activities that provide opportunities to express grief and other emotions through art, drama, writing, and therapeutic movement. Recreational activities are also part of the camp. Campers are supported in a confidential, safe, and caring environment and they come away from camp with an increased knowledge of the grieving process. They also develop new relationships to help them realize that they are not alone in their grief.

“Chameleon’s Journey is a significant experience for someone who has lost a loved one because it is full of fun and learning, too,” said Larry Dawalt, who has served as the camp’s director since its inception and also serves as Senior Director of Spiritual and Grief Care Services at HPCCR.  “We are honored year after year for the opportunity to support so many families from the Charlotte region by helping them find help, hope and healing.”

Chameleon’s Journey is provided free of charge and is made possible through the generous support of community members and civic organizations.

Founded in 1978, HPCCR provides compassionate care to individuals with life-limiting and terminal illnesses in 23 counties in North and South Carolina. The mission of HPCCR is to relieve suffering and improve the quality and dignity of life through compassionate hospice care for those at the end of life, palliative care for those with advanced illness, and through community education.

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• Jan 14, 2023

What Is Chameleon's Journey?

Life Matters Newsletter - Fall 2021

Chameleon’s Journey is an overnight grief camp for children and teens (ages 7-17) who are coping with the death of a family member or other significant person in their life.

At Chameleon’s Journey, children and teens quickly learn that they are not alone in their grief. In a safe and caring environment, trained counselors guide campers along a path to the development of coping skills. Campers learn that feelings which surface during the grief process are normal - though difficult.

In the midst of learning about the grief process, campers have fun, too, as they ride the zip line, canoe on the peaceful waters of Lake Wylie, play field games and get to know others with like experiences.

At Chameleon’s Journey, parents and guardians can get the grief support they need, too. Although parents and guardians do not stay overnight, they are encouraged to attend a workshop each morning. The two workshops address adult grief and ways to help grieving children.

So why is it called Chameleon’s Journey?

EXCERPTS FROM “CHAMELEON’S JOURNEY, THE TALE OF ONE LITTLE CHAMELEON’S JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF”

Chameleon loves changing colors and playing with his best friend! They have the best time together and go on many adventures, but one day, Chameleon receives news that his best friend has died. Suddenly, Chameleon cannot control his colors anymore... he used to have fun changing colors, but now he isn’t able to control them...why is this happening? It is very confusing and scary for Chameleon. He needs to know why this is happening, so he begins a journey to find answers...

Chameleon experiences feelings of anger, sadness, jealousy and happiness during his journey and he processes these feelings as he changes colors throughout the story.

Through his journey, Chameleon learns that when someone dies, we have lots of difficult and painful feelings. The feelings we have after someone dies are called “grief feelings.” Grief can make us feel unhappy and out of control.” He also comes to realize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with him, because it’s normal to have lots of different feelings when we lose someone we care about. And when he was ready, he was able to see that life is full of joy and sorrow and everything in between and soon he becomes a beautiful rainbow Chameleon; it just took time to heal... in his own way.

Visit https://www.hpccr.org/life-matters-fall-2021 to read more from our Fall 2021 Edition of the Life Matters Newsletter.

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Chameleon’s Journey: Grief Camp for Kids

These are some of the stories of the nearly 100 children who attended this year’s Chameleon’s Journey , an overnight grief camp for children ages 7-16 who have lost someone important in their lives.

In its 14th year, Chameleon’s Journey is held annually at Camp Thunderbird in Lake Wylie, SC, and is offered by Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region .

I had the privilege of volunteering at this year’s camp, which took place the weekend of October 11th.

I am a changed person. To be a part of this was a true gift.

At camp, I interacted with and got to know some of the staff of Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte – hospice nurses, grief counselors, therapists, and chaplains. It was like being in the company of angels. What they do truly matters and their life’s work is selfless devotion to others. Anyone affiliated with a hospice organization has a very special place in heaven. They are truly doing God’s work.

And then there’s the campers. Their stories are heart wrenching and as a volunteer, you want to run behind a bush every 5 minutes and cry your eyes out. It’s the loss of someone that the campers have in common and the reason they come. The kids find their “tribe” in peers who can relate and know what they are going through. Their courage and strength and perspective (and at ages as young as 7) is so inspirational.

The camp curriculum includes educational, artistic, creative, and physical activities. Campers have the opportunity to honor their loved ones, express and understand their grief, and meet new friends that help them know they are not alone.

Although the reason they are at camp is a sad one, they are still kids and there is a lot of laughter and fun and time to be kids. Lots of kids have been coming to camp for many, many years – first as campers and now as counselors.

Chameleon’s Journey is offered free of charge – thanks to a generous grant from the Junior League of Charlotte, and major donors including The Merancas Foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities, the Rotary Club of South Charlotte, Claire Bear’s Fund of the Foundation for the Carolinas, and many counselors and volunteers.

I’m very grateful for the experience and it’s something I’ll never forget.

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People like you make such a difference in this world. God bless those children, and the people in this world who help to make them smile ! Xoxo

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• Oct 17, 2023

Chameleon’s Journey Addresses Food Inequity

Charlotte, N.C., October 17, 2023 - On Saturday morning, October 14, campers and staff gathered on the banks of beautiful Lake Wylie at Camp Thunderbird to take part in the 24th annual Chameleon’s Journey Grief Camp, a program of VIA Health Partners, formerly known as Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region.

Launched in 2000, Chameleon’s Journey exists to provide healing, comfort, and care for children and students ages 7 to 17 in a therapeutic environment following a death, either through hospice or as a community referral. The program is one of just three overnight grief camps located in the Southeast and is staffed by clinical personnel including medical social workers, licensed professional counselors, healthcare chaplains, death doulas, music therapists, and community volunteers.

Since its inception, the cost to attend camp has been generously covered by donors throughout the region, VIA Health Partners and community foundations including Giving with Grace, the Checkers Foundation, and Claire Bear’s Fund.

While campers rotate through a series of activities and therapeutic interventions including drumming, group work, and movement/breathing techniques like Tai Chi, they are also invited to take part in a service project with the intent of giving back amid their own personal loss. With this year’s theme of “Grief Around the World,” campers partnered with Meals of Hope, centered in Southwest Florida, to fight the hunger epidemic and address food inequity in our own backyard, both through education and a justice-centered activity.

According to public health research, about 15% of households in Mecklenburg County struggle with food insecurity, driven mostly by poverty and an increased cost of living. It is also estimated that 1 in 5 children in Mecklenburg County lives in poverty. On October 16, a day known as World Food Day as established by member countries of the United Nations, Chameleon’s Journey delivered over 1,400 pounds of food packed by campers, or 10,000 meals, to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to be distributed within a 22-county service area - a geographic region that is a part of the 32 counties served by VIA Health Partners for hospice and palliative care.

Campers are challenged to experience service as a way of honoring their loved ones, recognizing power in their ability to respond while telling the stories of legacy, grace and love that have made them who they are today because of the ways they have been seen and valued. In the act of giving, they are growing both as mourners and as human beings desiring to speak hope into a hurting world.

To learn more about Chameleon’s Journey or VIA Health Partners, visit www.chameleonsjourney.org or www.viahp.org .

About VIA Health Partners

VIA Health Partners began as Hospice at Charlotte, the state’s first hospice, in 1978 and then operated under the name Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region (HPCCR) for decades before its name change to VIA Health Partners in 2023. Today VIA Health Partners serves 3,500 patients each day for hospice and palliative care services. Our service area encompasses 14 counties in North Carolina--Burke, Catawba, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Rutherford, Stanly, and Union. Its service area in South Carolina includes Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties.

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• Jul 19, 2021

Climb for a Cause - Summiting Mount Denali in Support of Chameleon's Journey & Our Bereaved Youth

Some people move mountains on behalf of a righteous cause. Terry Robertson climbed one.

Inspired by how Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region’s (HPCCR) Chameleon’s Journey grief camp helps children and youth face the challenge of losing a loved one, Robertson figured the least he could do is face a challenge of his own. What better way to show solidarity with bereaved kids and support the cause than to climb the highest mountain in North America?

Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley) is a mountain in Alaska that rises to a height of 20,310 feet. It’s the third most isolated peak on earth. Half the adventurers who attempt to climb it succeed. The other half fail. One hundred have died.

Climbing a mountain. Children who must find a way to live life after a death. For Robertson, the parallels are powerful. So is the answer: You put one foot in front of the other.

Robertson owns Robertson Funeral & Cremation Service in Charlotte. He has come to appreciate Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region through his profession. His place is beside the bereaved. His calling to offer comfort also comes from a personal place. He’s a cancer survivor.

He learned about Chameleon’s Journey , one of HPCRR’s signature programs, from social worker Beth Brittain, and Larry Dawalt, HPCCR’s Senior Director of Spiritual & Grief Care Services. Dawalt is a guiding force behind the camp, which began in 2000. Robertson made two visits to the camp on Lake Wylie, experiencing the healing taking place.

Married with three young children, Robertson also loves the outdoors and hiking. He’s twice climbed Mount Rainier (14,411 feet) in Washington State. Denali has been on his bucket list. He and a college buddy were looking to treat themselves to a 50th birthday present.

Can you see where this is going?

On May 27, Robertson flew to Anchorage, Alaska, then took a treacherous flight on a small plane to a glacier at the base of Denali. The climb was on, on behalf of a camp and kids 5,000 miles away.

With his friend, Leif Anderson, and three guides, they headed up the mountain – a combination of hiking and climbing. Think ropes and ice picks. Just in case they ran into anyone coming down the mountain, Robertson attached a toy chameleon to his belt so curious adventurers could ask, “What’s the chameleon for?” and he could tell them all about the camp.

It never got dark on the mountain, as Alaska has longer sunlight hours in the spring and summer than most states. The weather ranged from 20 degrees below zero when they awakened in their tents to “Can I take off my jacket?” during the strenuous midday climb. The air was dangerously thin. Between backpacks and sleds they pulled behind them, they were hauling 120 pounds of gear and supplies. Candy bars during the day helped keep their energy up. The adventure combined exhaustion and awe, for as Robertson says, “You’re in God’s expansiveness.”

The turning point came at 15,000 feet. “I had been strong for the first week,” Robertson wrote in a journal. “But when I hit 15,000 feet, it was hard to catch my breath…This was the first time on the mountain I experienced the fear of failure.” He had to turn back to 14,200 feet.

But here’s where the creed that Robertson lives by came in handy: “I like being able to put myself in an uncomfortable position. For me, that’s how I grow, being able to see if I can push through it.”

You know the rest of the story.

With his guide, Ty Guirano, exhorting him to “C’mon Terry, c’mon Terry,” Robertson made it to the camp at 17,000 feet. Then, three days later, at 4 p.m. on June 13, he reached the summit, the top of North America. “It was ridiculous how beautiful it was,” Robertson says. His reaction when he made it to the mountaintop? “I cried. I almost didn’t make it. Now I’m here.”

Having invited family, friends, acquaintances and business associates to support his adventure, Robertson raised $10,000 for Chameleon’s Journey. He also hopes his adventure stirs more awareness of the camp and inspires others to give. Gifts are always welcome for the camp and other HPCCR initiatives, where philanthropy helps provide compassionate care for all, regardless of age, diagnoses, or ability to pay. Learn more at donatehospice.org .

Robertson says his mountain-climbing days are behind him. “I’m done,” he promises, just in case his wife, Amanda, an Episcopal priest, is reading this. But his support of Chameleon’s Journey continues, for he has directed enough funerals to appreciate that for bereaved children especially, the journey to healing never ends. As he learned on the way up Denali, it takes perseverance to make it to the next day. And the day after that…

Chameleon’s Journey

The 22nd annual overnight grief camp is Oct. 16-17 at Camp Thunderbird on Lake Wylie, S.C. One hundred campers ages seven to 17 will come together to address the loss of a loved one or special friend through music, drama, writing, visual arts and recreation. It’s all offered in a spirit of fellowship. The camp is free and open to all bereaved children, not just HPCCR clients.

The deadline to sign up is Sept. 24. Call (704) 335-3557 to learn about sponsorship and other opportunities to support the camp. Visit www.chameleonsjourney.org for details.

The camp’s name comes from the story of a chameleon who made a journey of discovery after losing a special friend. The words of former camper Lauren Francis resonate:

“ Chameleon’s Journey has given me a home away from home. Attending CJ year after year has allowed me to have a support system and has provided me with something I could not access anywhere else – others who understand my pain and a nonjudgmental environment to express it."

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