Sharing Sources: Eluna

ELUNA

In 2000, Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Jamie Moyer and child advocate Karen Phelps Moyer started Eluna as a small nonprofit in Seattle, Washington, with a mission to help children in distress. Over the past 21 years, the organization has grown; it now serves the United States and Canada. “What started as a mission to help children in distress in Seattle, Eluna has grown into a national network of over 50 partners that provide free support services to children and families impacted by grief and addiction through our three signature programs—Camp Erin, Camp Mariposa, and the Eluna Resource Center,” said Mary FitzGerald, chief executive officer of Eluna. “Eluna has impacted the lives of over 42,000 campers and has offered personalized services to nearly 900 families.” The mission has evolved to focus on childhood bereavement and addiction prevention—two issues that the founders saw affecting youth regularly. 

Two of these programs are camps. Camp Erin, founded in 2002, was named in memory of Erin Metcalf. Eluna’s founders met Erin through the Make-A-Wish foundation after she had developed liver cancer. Her concern and compassion for other children was so apparent during her hospitalization that after her death, the camp was founded in her honor. Today Camp Erin is the largest free bereavement program for children and teens in the U.S. and Canada. True to Jamie’s baseball roots, there is a location in every MLB city. Five years later, Eluna established Camp Mariposa as a free mentoring and addiction prevention camp and program for children affected by a family member’s substance abuse. 

The Eluna Resource Center, a rich library searchable by type of caregiver (parent, teacher, friend, etc.) and cross-referenced by types of resources and subcategories (traumatic death, depression, resilience, and suicide, to name a few), provides over 250 resources on grief. These range from activity ideas and articles to other nonprofits that might be suitable for those looking to assist a child through difficult times. “We have hosted over 350,000 sessions through Eluna’s Resource Center, and today we are more focused than ever on ensuring children are supported in their grief and providing care to break the intergenerational cycle of addiction.” said FitzGerald. The organization also provides free, personalized care via phone and email. 

Another valuable resource for end-of-life doulas is Eluna’s care package program, specifically the Grief package and Survivor of Suicide packages. Each care package is organized by age group (ages 2 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 and older). Recipients receive a custom combination of therapeutic and comfort items appropriate for their age and circumstance as well as an Eluna Resource Center report with recommended therapeutic activities and resources.

In 2020, Eluna took Team Jesse under its roof and now provides services to support education and families of fallen soldiers in honor of SSG Jesse Williams. Throughout all of their programs, Eluna strives to make an impact on children greatly affected by death or substance abuse. That impact reverberates: 68% of alumni from Eluna’s programs for children affected by grief or addiction in their family report going on to study or work in a helping profession, creating an ongoing cycle of support. 

 

Editor’s note: Children’s Grief Awareness Day is recognized on the third Thursday in November.