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Make a donation today to give a family or an adult a free bereavement retreat

Camp because I said I would offers bereavement retreats that help grieving families and individuals begin to heal, thanks to the generosity of donors like you. We offer support in two ways:

Level 1: Time Away with Family – A no-cost stay in our resort cabins for families who have lost a loved one, offering quiet time together in nature without workshops or guided activities.
Level 2: Adult Bereavement Retreat – A supportive retreat for adults that includes guided workshops on mental health and resiliency, along with time to rest and reflect.

Wesley: Grief shared is grief lightened

Wesley lost his daughter Andrea in a tragic car accident in 2011. She was just 27 and expecting her second child. Since then, Wesley has walked alongside his wife Linda on their grief journey, including joint counseling. He attends the retreat to find community, expand his understanding of grief, and support his wife’s ongoing advocacy efforts.

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Victoria: Grief can reshape your path—and your purpose

In 2020, Victoria lost her son to a shooting. He was one of the best shooters in the world and an Olympic hopeful. After his death, she began a spiritual journey, working with global mentors like Dr. Joe Dispenza and Tony Robbins. “I created a global movement after my son died,” she writes. Victoria has since become deeply involved in grief programs and hopes to connect with other mothers at the retreat—for their healing and her own.

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Twylla: Grief can leave life feeling painfully empty when your purpose was someone you loved so completely.

Twylla's daughter lived on a ventilator for 32 years, with Twylla providing full-time in-home care throughout her life. Eight months ago, they made the heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support. The loss has been devastating. Twylla shared that her daughter was her world, and without her, she feels lost and without purpose. She and her husband are retired and facing not only deep emotional grief but a drastic shift in daily life and finances. She hopes the retreat can offer some healing and direction in a life that now feels unbearably quiet.

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Tonya: Grief in Layers

Tonya has endured the deaths of both her parents within a span of several years, beginning with her mother in 2012 and her father in 2020. Managing chronic health issues while processing this grief has made the journey more complex. She is now seeking ways to build resilience. “I hope to gain coping skills,” she shared, as she continues navigating life after loss.

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Tomica: Grief doesn’t come with instructions

Tomica’s son, Anthony, died by drowning in the summer of 2023. Since his passing, she’s participated in a couple of group therapy sessions and is now seeking a more intentional path forward. She shared that she hopes the bereavement retreat will help her learn to navigate this loss in a healthy way.

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Terraine: Grief doesn’t follow a timeline—it meets us where we are

In 2024, Terraine lost his grandmother, Iris, a deeply meaningful figure in his life. While he hasn’t yet sought counseling, he previously attended this retreat and found value in the space it offers. He returns seeking connection, reflection, and continued healing.

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Summer: When the person who held everything together is suddenly gone

Summer was adopted into a loving blended family that fostered over 300 children. Her father, the steady anchor of the home, passed away in March 2024 from cirrhosis complications after entering hospice. “I held his hand as he took his final breath.” Summer, now pregnant, is mourning not just the loss of her dad, but the absence he’ll have in her child's life. Her mother is now raising younger children and a foster grandson on her own. A retreat offers Summer and her family a space to heal, reconnect, and be seen in their grief

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Mike: Navigating life after loss.

Mike lost his wife, Sherry, in March 2025 to colon and brain cancer. The pain of that loss is compounded by layers of past grief—he is also adopted, lost his adoptive mother, and is a cancer survivor himself. “I’ve been cancer-free for 12 years,” Mike shared, but now he faces the emotional toll of grief without her. He hopes this retreat will help him process not only Sherry’s death but the loneliness and emotional weight that has followed.

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Michelle: Grief is a weight we never asked to carry

Michelle and Eric’s son Isaac died by suicide in September 2025. Since then, they’ve each been doing their best to process the loss—Michelle through in-person and online grief support groups, including art therapy and Suicide Loss Day, and Eric through mentorship, clergy, and an 8-week program he recently began. Michelle shared that she often feels like she’s “on a teeter-totter,” her emotions rising and falling daily. Eric put it plainly: “It’s hard.” At this retreat, they hope to find support, tools for healing, and connection with others who understand what they’re going through.

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Maddie: Loss has a way of piling up before you’ve had time to catch your breath.

Maddie is grieving the recent loss of her grandmother in September, on top of the loss of both her father and aunt to overdose in the same week, and her grandfather the year before. She’s received professional support and engaged in residential and PHP therapy, as well as participation in the GRASP community. Maddie hopes the bereavement retreat offers her space for connection and acceptance. “I’m looking for some acceptance and a sense of community.”

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Linda: Grief changes form, but it never leaves

Linda lost her daughter Andrea, who was pregnant with her second child, in a tragic car accident caused by a texting driver. Since that life-altering moment, Linda has become a writer, author, and advocate for grief support. She’s participated in multiple support groups and continues her mission of helping others find hope. She joins the retreat to deepen her education, connect in person, and continue honoring her daughter through advocacy.

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Kelly: Some losses make it hard to imagine a future at all.

Kelly is grieving the death of her son, who was shot and killed in November 2024. She has been attending grief counseling and participates in Mothers of Murdered Children events in Columbus. Kelly shares that she is struggling to live with this loss and is seeking tools to help her navigate life without her son. “I am not finding a way to live with this loss.”

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Judith: Sometimes we carry grief quietly, even when the loss is loud.

Judith lost her son, Benjamin, last year. Officially, his passing was attributed to heart complications from obesity, but she suspects it was related to tainted medication. “It was a complete shock,” she said. “Some guilt still lingers.” She has found sharing with others who are grieving to be helpful, and now hopes the retreat will give her a dedicated space to step back from the noise and better understand her grief.

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Joelle: When someone you love suffers, grief begins long before the end

Joelle lost her husband, Mike, in early 2025 after a battle with glioblastoma. She participated in 13 weeks of Grief Share, but this retreat will be her first immersive bereavement experience. She hopes to find connection, support, and learn new ways to cope with the sadness that remains. “I’m seeking connection, support, and coping techniques.”

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Hope: Even in the deepest sorrow, the search for hope can light the path ahead

Hope lost her 19-year-old son, Justin, to murder in 2016. Since his passing, she has sought support through counseling and bereavement programs including Grief 2 Hope and Grief Share. Hope comes to the retreat seeking continued grief support and connection.

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Eric: Grief is a weight we never asked to carry

Michelle and Eric’s son Isaac died by suicide in September 2025. Since then, they’ve each been doing their best to process the loss—Michelle through in-person and online grief support groups, including art therapy and Suicide Loss Day, and Eric through mentorship, clergy, and an 8-week program he recently began. Michelle shared that she often feels like she’s “on a teeter-totter,” her emotions rising and falling daily. Eric put it plainly: “It’s hard.” At this retreat, they hope to find support, tools for healing, and connection with others who understand what they’re going through.

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David: The grief is, at times, unbearable.

David lost his only son in a tragic hit-and-run accident in the summer of 2025. His son was just 23 years old. Since that day, David has been trying to carry the weight of that loss on his own. “I miss my son. I think about him all the time,” he shares. This retreat marks the first time he’s reaching out for support, hoping to find even a moment of peace in the presence of others who understand the deep ache of losing someone you love.

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Brandice: Grief after loss can feel overwhelming and isolating.

Brandice lost her son to suicide in March 2024. Since his death, she has been living with deep sadness and ongoing grief. She has received some counseling and attended a few GriefShare sessions, but continues to struggle with processing the weight of her loss. Through this retreat, Brandice hopes for space to begin working through her grief and to be supported while navigating the pain of losing her child.

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Barbie: I never really had time to grieve.

Barbie lost her sister, Kimberly, after years of acting as her full-time caregiver and legal guardian. Following a series of traumatic events that began with assaults and hospitalizations, Kimberly’s health declined until her passing. Barbie has been immersed in advocacy work ever since, even founding a nonprofit in her sister’s name. While she’s participated in grief counseling and art therapy, Barbie shared that caring for her sister began shortly after losing her father—and she never truly had space to process either loss. She’s attending the retreat in hopes of finally beginning that journey.

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Anonymous: Losing him was losing my every day

A widow lost her husband in July 2025 after a year-long battle with lymphoma and stomach cancer. Before his diagnosis, he had already faced serious health challenges, but remained a kind and loving presence in their family. “After he retired in 2017, he cooked me dinner almost every night when I came home from school,” she shared. She hopes for a peaceful retreat to process her grief, connect with others who understand loss, and begin finding joy again through resilience.

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