“Our purpose is really about helping patients and families live each day with hope and dignity.”
Thanks for joining us again, Diana. This time, we’re looking forward to learning about two milestones. But first, can you please give us an overview of HopeHealth’s mission and services?
Thank you so much, I’m happy to be back, especially in such an exciting year for HopeHealth!
Our purpose is really about helping patients and families live each day with hope and dignity. We do that in many different ways. We provide hospice and palliative care for people living with serious illness, as well as support for caregivers and people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. And our support continues after a loss through grief counseling, support groups and programs for both adults and children.
All of this care is centered on patients and families – understanding what matters most to them and making sure they feel supported through what can be some of the most difficult and vulnerable times in their lives.
The first milestone is HopeHealth marking 50 years in 2026. Can you please give us a snapshot of its history?
It’s extraordinary to think about how much has changed in 50 years. HopeHealth began in 1976 as Hospice Care of Rhode Island, when hospice was still a very new concept in this country. In fact, we were only the second hospice organization in the nation. Over the years, we’ve grown along with the needs of our community. We opened Rhode Island’s first dedicated inpatient hospice center, expanded our grief support programs, became the major teaching affiliate for hospice and palliative medicine of Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, expanded into Massachusetts and added new services such as pediatric supportive care and palliative care in the home. A lot has changed, but what has stayed constant is our commitment to patients and families.
What are the factors that have contributed to this growth?
I think a big part of it is that we have always listened to what patients, families and our health care partners need from us. Health care has changed tremendously over 50 years, and we have changed with it. We have also been incredibly fortunate to have talented and compassionate people who believe deeply in this work. Our staff, volunteers, board members, donors and community partners have all played a role in helping HopeHealth grow while staying true to why we are here – to care for patients and families when they need us most.
Do you foresee continued growth?
Absolutely. Our population is aging, and people are living longer with serious and complex illnesses. That means the need for hospice and palliative care is only going to increase. For us, growth is about making sure more people understand that this care is available and can access it when they need it. There are still far too many families who come to hospice or palliative care later than they could have. We want to continue changing that.
The second milestone, this month, is the 20th anniversary of HopeHealth’s Camp BraveHeart. We’ll get into more detail in a moment, but first, please tell us about its opening two decades ago.
Camp BraveHeart started with 46 children at a YMCA in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Every one of those children had experienced the death of someone they loved. The idea was to give grieving children something they often don’t have in their everyday lives — a chance to be surrounded by other kids who truly understand what they’re going through. They could talk about the person they missed, learn healthy ways to express their grief and, just as importantly, laugh, play and be kids. Twenty summers later, that is still what makes Camp BraveHeart so special.
Today, there are two locations. Where are they?
We now hold Camp BraveHeart in two locations: at the Hockomock Area YMCA in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, and at Camp Hoffman in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
Who can attend?
Camp is for children and teens ages 5 to 17 who are grieving the death of someone they love. And children can come back year after year until they age out. Grief changes as children grow, so what a child needs at 7 may be very different from what they need at 12 or 16.
Is it free?
Yes. Camp BraveHeart is completely free to families, thanks to the generosity of our donors and community supporters.
How long is a stay?
Each Camp BraveHeart is a two-day day camp.
Camp BraveHeart activities are diverse. Please tell us about those that are for Grief Support. Among them are four listed on the website. Could you give us a summary of each?
The activities can look a little different from year to year, but they’re all designed to give children different ways to express their grief, remember the person they love and connect with other kids who understand what they’re going through.
— Art Therapy
Art can give children a way to express feelings that may be hard to put into words. Through creative projects, they can explore their emotions and find meaningful ways to remember someone they love.
— Drum Circle Activities
Music has always been another wonderful way for children to express themselves at Camp BraveHeart, although the specific activities can change from year to year. This summer, for example, we partnered with The Same Thing Project, which uses collaborative songwriting to bring people together. Music gives children another way to explore what they’re feeling, connect with one another and express things that can sometimes be difficult to put into words.
— Mindfulness Activities
We also introduce campers to different ways to slow down, manage difficult emotions and be present with what they’re feeling. Those activities vary from year to year as well. We’ve incorporated things like yoga, for example. The goal is to give children simple, healthy tools they can use when grief feels overwhelming, both at camp and at home.
— Remembrance Ceremony
The remembrance ceremony is a very meaningful part of camp. It gives children and families a chance to pause and honor the people they love and miss, surrounded by a community that understands what that loss means.
There’s also traditional camp fun. A few details, please.
Of course! Fun is such an important part of Camp BraveHeart. The children swim, play sports, take part in ropes challenges, make music and art, do theater and storytelling activities and spend time simply having fun together. One of the things we want children to understand is that it’s OK to experience joy while you’re grieving. They can miss someone they love and still laugh, make friends and have a great day at camp. Both things can be true.
Do you have an estimate of how many children have attended over the years?
Over the past 20 summers, we estimate that nearly 2,000 children and teens have participated in Camp BraveHeart. That’s really remarkable to think about, especially when you consider that our very first camp welcomed just 46 children. Many children also return year after year as their grief changes and they grow. Some have even come back as counselors. To me, that says so much about the connections they make here and what this community means to them.
Camp is closed now for the summer, but how many children attended in 2026?
We had 174 children and teens registered for Camp BraveHeart this summer — 99 in Rhode Island and 75 in Massachusetts.
Anything we missed?
There is actually one more anniversary that is very meaningful to us this year. In November, we’ll celebrate 10 years of our Weekend of Hope & Healing, our grief retreat for adults. I think these three anniversaries tell a really beautiful story about HopeHealth. We’re celebrating 50 years as an organization, 20 summers of helping grieving children through Camp BraveHeart and 10 years of bringing grieving adults together through the Weekend of Hope & Healing. Grief support has long been an important part of the care we provide. Whether someone is 7 or 70, there is tremendous value in being with people who understand what you’re going through and realizing that you don’t have to go through it alone.
