UPPER LAKE— For 33 years the Hospice Services of Lake County has provided a bereavement camp for families called Wings of Hope, hosted at the expansive Saratoga Springs Resort in Upper Lake. The camp consists of three days of fun, therapeutic activities including percussion work as well as equine therapy and strives to normalize grieving and offer families in grief a safe space to express themselves.
Hospice Services Director of Development and Camp Director Janine Citron-Smith shared “We try to not be invasive, we are present here because it’s the small breaks that make a difference.” Citron-Smith explained the systems and schedules of the camp, which encompasses as much as it can in such a short time. This year there are eight families that attended, and each family has a team of three (one new counselor, one veteran counselor and one team member) to assist them through camp. There are ample cabins and other lodging for all of the families and also volunteers, with hiking trails all around, a heart lodge and a warm and cold pool to wind down in. Throughout the day there are individual and group therapy sessions followed by other therapeutic activities for the campers, with daily access to Chance, a veteran service dog who, according to handler Haley Thornton, thoroughly enjoys his job.
One of which is percussion therapy where both kids and adults create and design drums out of duct tape and five-gallon buckets, then play them together coached along by Josh Robinson who has been doing percussion work with grief camps across the county for 15 years. Robinson volunteers in honor of his grandfather sharing “In life, I put my pain to purpose. Music gave me a path.” Through music Robinson is able help those experiencing loss navigate their grief with rhythm instead of words. Citron-Smith noted, “People don’t heal. Our community especially has a lot of loss and people need the right tools to start healing.” Robinson has worked in over 12 states and 300 grief camps, returning to Lake County every year since 2017. More information on this practice can be found at joshrobinsondrums.com.
Equine therapy, also known as horse therapy, is another activity featured every year at Wings of Hope. Andrea Molina, owner of Healing Hearts Ranch in Kelseyville, was inspired to practice equine therapy after seeing how much horses helped her through difficult times and wanted to help others do the same. Molina shared her expertise and horses with the campers explaining, “A horse’s heart is 10 times larger than ours, and they can help regulate our hearts. You can feel a horse’s heart energy from a field away.” Molina walked the families around and anyone who wished got on and rode around camp, leaving everyone with big smiles. More information on Molina’s services can be found on their website healingheartsranchllc.com
The Wings of Hope camp is available to all Lake County residents, not just those who have received their services directly. Bereavement Services Manager Kathleen Bradley expressed their reach into the community, to both promote their services and also fundraise as they rely on grants, Medicare, and donations from partners like Redbud Health Care and the Lake County Wine Alliance. Bradley has been a part of Wings of Hope for 13 years, after attending with her family after a loss. “The camp foster’s a sense of community and reminds you that not everyone has the life you have. And it helps kids to normalize that grief knowing they are not alone,” she shared. For more information on the Wings of Hope and other Hospice service please visit their website lakecountyhospice.org.
