Wounded Warriors kids camp marks major milestone
Global News
Wounded Warriors camps for kids offers resources for youth on how to cope with and learn from their family member's injuries. The organization has now served 1,000 kids.
When veterans or first responders are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, the aftereffects also impact their families.
Now, a camp created by Wounded Warriors Canada to help children of first-responder or military families cope is marking a major milestone, having served 1,000 kids.
Jade Jones is one of the many youths who spent part of her summer at the Warrior Kids Camp in Sherwood Park, Alta., at Camp Van-Es.
“We got to do some fun experiments, we got to express how we feel. I loved how we laughed a lot and the activities we enjoyed,” said Jones.
Jones’ father Brad was in the military for 23 years and has been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Now Jones is learning how to manage secondhand effects at the Warriors Kids camp.
“You get to know more about your parents. You get to know more about what they have been through with the job. It’s just easier to know whether or not they are stressed out. (Because) I knew more about whether or not they were stressed or paranoid, I would just give them the space,” Jones said.
“Camp is designed in a very intentional way to support children and youth in understanding these invisible injuries in a way that’s in their language, which is play,” said Warriors Kids Camp co-founder and co-director Jerris Popik.
“We know that when members aren’t doing well – and as a parent you’re not doing well – we know that kids and youth are also impacted by the secondary effects of trauma.”