Camp Good Mourning! is Long Island's ONLY nonprofit organization that provides FREE, overnight, weekend bereavement camp programs for children, ages 7-17, who are coping with the loss of a parent/guardian, and/or sibling.
Paul Rubin, Founder and Executive Director of Camp Good Mourning!
Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Segment 1
The first segment begins with a question about what drew Paul to the kind of work he does. Paul shares that he has always felt drawn towards service work with children. He describes different volunteering opportunities he’s been involved with over time. He then shares a story about a volunteer experience at a children’s bereavement camp in New Jersey. While volunteering there, he shared a special connection with a little boy whose family survived 911. The impact of this experience later inspired him to start an overnight bereavement camp in Long Island.
Segment 2
The second segment begins as a continuation of the conversation in segment 1. Paul discusses his observation for a need for an overnight bereavement camp in Long Island; although Long Island did offer bereavement camps, at the time, none of them provided overnight services. Paul found that overnight camps allowed for opportunities for more bonding and connections to form between children and camp staff. Paul discusses the unique services offered by his non-profit organization which also includes services for grieving parents such as support groups.
Segment 3
This segment begins with a discussion about volunteer work within the organization. Paul describes the stringent volunteer recruitment process which ensures the camp children are in the best possible hands. He then discusses the one-on-one buddy system in which volunteers work one-on-one with camp children.
Next, Paul discusses how he has created and sustained his nonprofit organization. Pro-Bono services have helped him to get the organization started and his organization is supported by grants, donations, and sponsorships. Finally, Paul discusses how camp services and processes are adapted to boost the wellbeing of the children involved.
Segment 4
In the final segment, Paul highlights his organization’s goal to fill in the gaps in bereaved services offered in Long Island. Paul also discusses the organization’s need for male volunteers and support group leaders. His team offers education and training for dealing with grief so that volunteers are prepared to serve in their designated role. Paul shares that the camp and volunteer applications can be found on the organization’s website and he shares the organization’s contact information. Finally Paul shares his organization is interested in growing their board and working with organizations with similar goals.
