Westport, CT, Nov. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via NGO Wire) To mark November 18 as National Children’s Grief Awareness Day, Experience Camps, a nonprofit that champions the nation’s 5.3 million bereaved children, today officially kicked off its annual Talk About Grief campaign. The campaign is designed to help everyone better support people who are grieving this holiday season. Experience Camps also announced that a one-for-one match will be applied to all donations made this holiday season, up to a cumulative total of $50,000, starting on GivingTuesday.
“We aim to focus attention on childhood grief as a cause worthy of support on GivingTuesday and to equip everyone with skills and resources to help,” said Kim Pucci, Chief Development Officer at Experience Camps. “Joy and grief can be deeply connected, particularly during the holidays. Shockingly, half of Millennials and 36% of all adults don’t feel like celebrating the holidays this year due to feelings of grief. National Children’s Grief Awareness Day comes shortly before GivingTuesday, making this the time to turn things around.”
Photo Available: Experience Camps A Look at Grief
GivingTuesday, which falls on November 30 this year, also is increasingly recognized as #CryptoGiving Tuesday. Along with traditional donations, Experience Camps welcomes Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and other cryptocurrencies. Funds raised on GivingTuesday will help Experience Camps reach more of the nation’s 5.3 million grieving children with no-cost services, expand its Camper Opportunity Fund, and address a waiting list which has grown 500% in recent years.
"On GivingTuesday, donors can help us provide more kids the chance to live a life rich with possibility,” Pucci said. “With 86% of Americans saying grief should be addressed as an important mental health issue, we’re helping people go beyond saying ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ -- because kids tell us that’s not enough. There are simple ways everyone can make a difference by raising awareness, donating and simply talking about grief.”
While 89% of Americans agree that everyone should learn to talk about grief, 70% say they’re often unsure what to do or say when someone they care about is grieving.* The Talk About Grief campaign includes tips; a discussion guide; celebrity stories of grief and support from NHL player Kurtis Gabriel and actresses Shelly Bhalla, Yael Grobglas and Kim Shaw; and a growing video clearinghouse of tangible, real-world ways to help.
The nonprofit also is addressing a serious perception gap: 47% of parents with children under 18 believe children are less impacted by grief after a death than adults are.* In fact, childhood bereavement can lead to decreased academic performance and higher rates of mental health issues, substance abuse and even suicide.
One in five US children is coping with the death of someone significant to them, and 140,000 – 175,000 US children have gone through the death of a parent or a custodial caregiver due to COVID-19 (CDC). More than half (54%) of Americans call this fact a “very significant” problem.*
GivingTuesday occurs each year after Black Friday and was created to focus attention on social needs. It has grown into a global movement that encourages people to do good at the start of the giving season.
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*Note to editors: data from a 2021 Experience Camps/Harris Poll survey of more than 2,000 US adults. Spokespeople available for interview, including children, parents, clinical experts and Experience Camps leadership. Photos and infographics available for publication.
Experience Camps is a nonprofit that champions the nation’s 5.3 million bereaved children and runs a network of no-cost camps that help grieving children thrive. With 10 locations that directly deliver no-cost services to youth, ages nine – 18, from 32 U.S. states, Experience Camps has spent more than 520,000 hours equipping grieving children with the confidence, coping skills and support to live a life full of possibility.
