Camp Dreams: Dreams from Drake is thrilled to announce that it will host Monroe County’s first bereavement camp for children and teens grieving the loss of a sibling or parent. The camp is held in conjunction with and at Nazareth College on Friday, June 27. It will begin at 8:30am and will include music, art, and yoga therapy as well as other scheduled activities throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided. There is no cost to participants. Please view the Camp Dreams Information Sheet and the Camp Dreams Application below for more information. If you have specific questions, please contact us at [email protected] or call 585-225-5606 (Jaime) or 585-230-7109 (Haverly).
Application: Camp Dreams Application | Information: Camp Dreams Information Sheet | Health History Form
Healing Circles of Hope: Healing Circles of Hope is a monthly support group specifically for children and teens who have lost a sibling or parent/guardian. Each event is centered on a social activity which will provide children the opportunity to engage in healthy activities and helpful discussions about their lost loved one. Please see below for an updated list of Healing Circles (the list will be updated as more events are secured).
Sunday, January 12 at Glacier Ridge from 5pm-7pm. We held our first Healing Circle at Glacier Ridge. Good thing all dressed warmly, as participants had fun snow tubing at 4618 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, NY 14559. Please see pictures and YouTube video below!
Sunday, February 9 at the Rochester Lancers game! Thanks to those who joined us at Blue Cross Arena where we met the Rochester Lancers players and enjoyed second-row seats for the game!
Wednesday, March 19 at Color Me Mine in Pittsford Plaza! Thanks to those who joined us at Color Me Mine! We enjoyed an evening sharing thoughts about our lost loved ones using Skittles and then painted pottery!
Wednesday, April 23 at Yummies Frozen Yogurt in Fairport! We had a great time making paper mache collages that reminded us of our departed friends, and then we piled on the toppings with our self-serve frozen yogurt creations!
Tuesday, May 20 at Spectrum Creative Arts in Pittsford! Dreams from Drake was happy to team up with Spectrum Creative Arts! We enjoyed creating and decorating musical instruments and then playing them while sharing stories about our special angels.
Birthday Bonus: providing children who have lost a sibling or parent with a birthday gift given in memory of their lost loved one. All gifts are given with the intent to support the learning-to-heal process.
Make-a-Meal: providing families who recently lost a child with a meal(s) to ensure that they continue to provide themselves and their families with the nutrients needed to move through each day.
Happy Hearts for the Holidays: providing children from impoverished backgrounds with gifts during the holiday season to ensure that all children are remembered and to guarantee that Drake’s “sharing is caring” motto shines during the holiday giving season. (See pictures below from last year’s Happy Hearts for the Holidays gift collection. Hundreds and hundreds of gifts were donated to Dreams from Drake and given to St. Peter’s Kitchen who provides gifts to financially-challenged families who visit St. Peter’s to “shop” for presents for their children. Dreams from Drake was proud to be the largest private gift donor in 2012.)
The Next Page Program: providing children and families with literature that has proven helpful in understanding and dealing with grief. There are several books that discuss the grieving process that are written for both younger and adult audiences. Our family found some to be more helpful than others. We would like to share these resources by giving books to the caretakers affected by the loss of a child and/or to a child/teen affected by the loss of a sibling/parent. For a list of books and other helpful resources, please click here.
Caring Card Club: providing children, on a monthly basis, with a card to let them know that they’re always being thought about, and reminding them that they have made it through another month.
Let It All Out! Club: In the future with additional funding, Dreams from Drake will support programs aimed specifically at providing children and teens who have lost a sibling or a parent with scholarships that will allow them to participate in athletic, music and/or art-based community programs in an effort to help these children and teens continue to live healthy and thriving lives. Our family has found that athletics, music, and art have all proven therapeutic for Drake’s siblings as they move through the grieving process, and we hope to provide others with the opportunity to take advantage of similar programs.
Golisano Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House: *Please note that all donations made to the Pettit family prior to the creation of Dreams from Drakewere forwarded to the Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House, totaling more than $7,000. We thank everyone for their support during this time.
