For Kids Who Lost a Parent to COVID, Here’s Where to Find Support

 

This story was produced jointly between THE CITY, Columbia Journalism Investigations and Type Investigations as part of “MISSING THEM,” THE CITY’s collaborative COVID-19 memorial and accountability journalism project. Do you know a child who has lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19? Tell us more here. ¿Conoce usted a un niño que ha perdido a un padre o cuidador por el COVID-19? Cuéntenos más aquí.

At every Comfort Zone Camp weekend, without fail, dinner on Friday night when the children are all together for the first time is always the most awkward, said Brenda Catalano, a volunteer.

Unlike most summer camps, every child has lost a parent or close family member. Returning campers are “running around high-fiving and hugging,” she said, while new campers tend to be more shy. 

But by the time Sunday rolls around and it’s time to go home, it is nearly impossible to tell who was new and who wasn’t, said Catalano.

Although Comfort Zone Camp is geared toward bereaved children aged 7 to 17, Catalano described it as “the most fun place on earth.” The nonprofit organization runs virtual support groups and overnight camps  around the country, including in the New York City region, where children can come together and heal from trauma — including the loss of parents who died of COVID-19...

https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/7/28/23283058/kids-who-lost-parent-guardian-covid-grief-support