For K.C. Skeldon ’17, grief is a familiar companion. “My dad died from pancreatic cancer in 2019,” she says. “I found myself entering the world of grief and really engaging with it.” That meant reading books, finding communities of people who were going through it, and exploring online resources.
One day, a video on TikTok caught her attention. “It was a short interview with a kid about the person they lost, what grief is like for a kid, and how a camp had changed their life,” K.C. says. It described Experience Camps, a nonprofit that supports children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver.
The first time K.C. applied to volunteer for the girls’ Experience Camp in Maine, it was fully staffed. Meanwhile, a close friend whose mother had died when he was in college applied to volunteer at the boys’ camp and was accepted. He encouraged K.C. to try for that camp. The following summer, she was accepted.
She was assigned as a cabin counselor for the youngest group, the 9- and 10-year-olds. She thought, “I’m 4'11", and if they’re all shorter than I am, I’ll consider that a win.” More soberly, she says, “As the youngest kids that are eligible for camp, it means they’ve had losses so early in their lives.”
The boys experience typical Maine summer camp activities—sports, crafts, skits, swimming, and boating. K.C. says there are poignant moments, such as during a cook-out for 13- and 14-year-olds. “I’m watching them flip burgers, and I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if they get to do this at home. I don’t know if they’ve ever learned to grill with a dad. I want all the fatherless boys to have this experience.’”
K.C. says, “ExCamps is the best, worst place. You don’t want your kid or your cousin or nephew or niece to end up at this camp. But if something happens, it’s just an amazing place to have open to these kids.”
Working with bereaved children is challenging, but “the moments that are emotionally tough are the moments you’re there for,” she says. “Those are the moments that help you grow so you can come back and help these kids even more.”
K.C. is already signed up to return in summer 2025.
For more information, go to experiencecamps.org.
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