Dealing with grief following the death of a parent or immediate family member is difficult for people of all ages. But for children and teenagers, dealing with loss can be as confusing as it is heartbreaking. An annual summer camp, called Camp Angel Wings, aims to help children through the difficult grieving process.

A free, two-day day camp in its eighth year, Camp Angel Wings is hosted by Southcoast Home Care, Hospice, & Palliative Care & Infusion Services.

Held at the Mattapoisett YMCA, children and teens dealing with grief participate in fun activities, including music, swimming, arts and crafts, horseback riding, rock climbing, and archery, aimed to alleviate the sense of isolation they may feel after losing a family member. Campers are encouraged, but not forced, to talk about their loss.

"They're given the opportunity to talk among children that have experienced grief and doing so, children tend to open up more because they're with their peers," said Camp Angel Wings coordinator Jo-Ann Richard.

Campers also write down what they want to remember about their loved ones, and decorate memory boxes to take home with them.

“One of the biggest fears that children have is that they're going to forget their loved one," Richard said.

This year's camp is scheduled for July 24 and 25, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Children and teens ages 5 through 17 can attend.

The Bell family, of Wareham, will attend Camp Angel Wings for the second time since losing their mother, Jayne, to cancer in April of last year.

"It seemed like they had a good time," said Michael Bell Sr., father of 15-year-old Michael Jr., 14-year-old Ryan, 11-year-old Benjamin, and 6-year-old Cassie.

Jayne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 - three months before Benjamin was born, Michael said. After receiving treatment, Jayne went into remission. But in 2003, the family learned that her cancer had spread. Jayne passed away on April 21, 2009. She was just 45-years old.

Though unsure if attending the July camp would be difficult for the children so soon after the death of their mother, Michael Sr. said he asked if they'd like to go after hearing about the camp from Southcoast. They all decided to attend, he said.

Michael Jr. said attending the camp was very helpful. "You know you can associate yourself in some way with everyone else," he said. Archery was one of his favorite activities at camp, along with climbing the rock wall. "I was the first one to go all the way up," he said.

Cassie was a big fan of the animals. "Holding rabbits and going on horses" were the things she most enjoyed.

Campers are split into groups based on their ages and participate in age-appropriate activities. The Bell children said they are looking forward to seeing friends from last year and making new friends. This year, they will bring index cards to write down contact information so they can keep in touch with friends from camp throughout the year.

Each camper wears a name-tag that also indicates which family member they lost, whether it be mom, dad, or a grandparent.

But, "it's not all gloom and doom," Michael Jr. said. "No one ever shed a tear. They were just sharing their story."

For more information and to register for Camp Angel Wings, contact Jo-Ann Richard at 508-984-0277 or visit www.southcoast.org/home/camp.html.