RICHMOND, Va. — Comfort Zone Camp is a Richmond-area nonprofit that helps children navigate grief. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offers weekend camps for grieving children ages 7 to 17.
The organization was founded by Lynne Hughes, who experienced profound loss at a young age.
"My mom died when I was 9. My dad died when I was 12, and there were no resources for grieving kids, and you're doing really well if you acted like it didn't happen to you," Hughes said
Hughes found solace at a regular summer camp after her parents' deaths, which inspired her to create the resource she wished she had during her own grief journey.
"It allowed me to step outside of my loss and get back to being a kid again," Hughes said. "Eventually all these many years later, there weren't any resources for grieving kids, so I created the resource that I wish I would have had in my favorite place, summer camp."
The holiday season presents particular challenges for grieving families, Hughes explained.
"It is hard. There's an empty chair at the table," Hughes said.
CBS 6 Gives recently provided a donation to support the organization's mission of reaching more children who need grief support.
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