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Moyer Foundation: Non-Profit of the Month

July 7, 2015
Children grieving the loss of someone close to them or have a family member battling addiction can receive support and experience a sense of community through Camp Erin and Camp Mariposa, offered by The Moyer Foundation. The foundation describes its mission as providing comfort, hope, and healing to these children.

Camp Erin is a bereavement camp that welcomes children who have lost someone close to them for a weekend-long experience filled with traditional camp activities mixed with grief education and emotional support.

Children ages 6-17, including those from military families, can attend Camp Erin, which is facilitated by grief professionals and trained volunteers. Sharing stories of loved ones and expressing their feelings help to bond the campers together and realize they are not alone.



Camp Erin has more than 40 locations across the country, including two in Canada, and will continue to expand in future years. The camp was created and is supported by The Moyer Foundation, which was started by former Major League Baseball player Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen. The national camp network includes a camp serving children in every Major League Baseball city.

The Moyers named the camps in memory of Erin Metcalf, who they met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Erin developed liver cancer at the age of 15, but always expressed concern for the other children who were hospitalized and their siblings. Erin passed away at the age of 17, and the first Camp Erin was held in the state of Washington two years later.

Camp Erin's first few years included just a few camp sessions that welcomed dozens of children. Now, that has grown to more than 40 camp sessions that help over 2,800 children annually.

In addition to Camp Erin, the Foundation created and supports Camp Mariposa, a free weekend camp and first-of-its-kind program for children ages 9-12 who are affected by a family member’s addiction.



This camp's goal is to empower children with the knowledge, tools and coping skills to break the cycle of addiction in their families. Mental health and youth-serving organizations across the country help to facilitate 45 Camp Mariposa weekends in eight locations each year.

In each location, camps are held six times a year and children are encouraged to attend multiple weekends.

Both Camp Erin and Camp Mariposa are offered free of charge to families and rely on local community agencies and partners to continue to help these families long after the camp weekend has ended. Volunteer opportunities also exist at The Moyer Foundation and with Camp Erin and Camp Mariposa.

To learn more about these camps and the work of The Moyer Foundation, visit www.moyerfoundation.org.