Since 2004, Friends of Caroline Hospice has partnered with Beaufort County School District to provide bereavement support groups to students in kindergarten through the grade 12 who have lost someone significant in their lives.

The Student Bereavement Team is a group of compassionate volunteers who are professionally trained support group facilitators, not professional counselors. Support groups are one-hour long and are held once each week for 6 weeks. Students are provided with opportunities to talk about their lost loved ones, to understand their mixed up emotions, to discover the support around them, to learn coping strategies and to participate in a memorial celebration. The groups are free to the student, their families, and the school. Parents or legal guardians can request a support group for their child by contacting their school teacher, guidance counselor, or social worker.

If six weeks is too long a commitment, Camp Caroline is a one-day bereavement camp for any student in Beaufort County grades 1 through 12 who has lost a loved one, The next Camp Caroline will be held at the Fripp Island Community Centre on Saturday September 24th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Students will have the opportunity to learn about grief and how it manifests itself, learn coping strategies, and build a cherished memory of their lost loved ones. The students will also participate in a relaxing yoga session and a hike in nature for fun activities.

Families will join their students on the beach at Fripp Island to celebrate the life of the lost loved one. Camp Caroline is free to students and their families thanks to a private gift and grants from the Junior Service League of Beaufort and the Kiwanis Club of Beaufort Charitable Fund. Applications for Camp Caroline must be postmarked or emailed by Friday, September 18, 2015.

For more information or registration materials, contact Cristin Casper or Steve Scudder at Friends of Caroline Hospice at 843-525-6257.