Learn about TMF from the inside!

A local blogger wrote a great piece about The Moyer Foundation and everything we are all about. Includes an interview from TMF Executive Director Gary Pollock.

Check it out!

Climbing Mountains for Camp Erin!

The passion of a local Seattle-area man who has a personal connection to Camp Erin, has been inspired to take on a challenge many don't even dream of - to climb the world's 5 highest peaks over the next 3 years! A mission that he is calling "From Zero to Everest."

Skylar Givens of Edmonds, WA is currently training to accomplish what seems to most as an impossible task. Throughout his journey he will be raising funds and awareness to support the Camp Erin program. Check out the FZTE website http://www.fzte.com/ where you can follow him on Twitter or fan him on Facebook.

You can read more about Skylar's journey in a recent article in the Edmonds Beacon.

Best of luck Skylar! We are cheering for you!

More bereavement tips for the holidays - from Gloria Lintermans and Dr. Marilyn Stolzman

A few more helpful tips for bereavement and the holidays:

GRATITUDE - When we are grateful for life's blessings and for what we have, we distract ourselves from what is wrong with our lives. We fixate and ruminate less on what is missing. Being thankful for our children, our healthy minds and bodies. Being willing to be appreciative all the small things in our lives that make up the big things. Our ability to see, to hear, to think, to reflect, to notice, to enjoy and to feel deeply increases our sensitivity and awareness of the world around us.

EXERCISE - Exercise is a good antidote for stress through the holidays and stress at other times as well. Enjoying exercise on a regular basis is something good to include in our lives. Whether we walk, swim, bike ride or hike, moving our bodies allows us to be outdoors and observe nature. It often takes us out of ourselves and into the world. It may distract the griever from the constant state of anxiety which often accompanies early grieving. We release endorphins in our brain when we exercise that give our mood a lift. Exercise is often prescribed for depression and depressive thoughts.

NUTRITION - The bereaved often cannot eat, do not enjoy food, or may be inclined to eat too much or eat junk foods. Often the grieving person loses interest in food shopping because they don't know how to shop for one, or they don't want to cook for themselves. Appropriate nutritional habits are important through the grieving period because the immune system is down due to stress. Everything one can do to stay healthy is helpful. One of the signs that the bereaved is doing better is the indication that they care again about proper nutrition and make the effort to eat more than cheese and crackers. If a bereaved person was a caregiver and spent a lot of time cooking for an ill spouse they would have to learn to slowly convert this energy and give themselves permission to take good care of themselves. This is appropriate and not an indulgence. It is not selfish; it is good self-nurturing.

ADEQUATE REST - Sleep often gets disturbed during times of extreme stress. Being mindful of getting enough sleep is a good idea since sleep patterns can be interrupted. People often report that they may fall asleep but have trouble staying asleep. If one was used to sleeping in a bed with their spouse, there is an increased awareness of the empty bed. People tend to oversleep or not sleep enough during high stress times. Listening to soothing music before bedtime is relaxing; not listening to the news before going to bed is a good idea. It is important to not over stimulate the mind at least an hour before bedtime.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS - Reaching out to family and friends is particularly helpful at holiday time. Calling and making arrangements for activities and having plans are useful for getting through the holidays. Friends and family can provide comfort, safely, warmth and love. Surround yourself with the people that bring out the best in you. Talk to your friends and allow them to include you in their plans. Accept invitations, try to laugh and see funny movies. Be less attached to being a third wheel and more attached to how wonderful it is to have people in your life that care and want to be with you. Initiate a dinner or a movie or some activity to share. Be with friends or family members that help you decrease your stress not increase it and look forward to the fact that next year will be easier for you. It is the first experience of holidays that is the most difficult to get through. Encourage yourself to participate. Hopefully, next year will be easier and you will have more events to look forward to that bring you joy.

Fun, Easy and Yummy Holiday Recipe!

Making fun holiday treats is a great way to start new family traditions and creating times for bonding over the holidays, especially when you are missing someone and times are hard. Below is a fun, easy and inexpensive recipe any age can enjoy!

Ingredients

- 1 bag of Holiday Ring Pretzels (Old Dutch square pretzel’s recommended)

- 1 bag of Hershey Kisses

- 1 bag of plain M&M's

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place pretzels on wax paper on cookie sheet. Place one un-wrapped Hershey Kiss on top of each pretzel. Place in oven for 3-4 minutes or until chocolate is soft. Watch close, chocolate melts quickly! Remove from the oven and press one M&M into the center of the chocolate kiss. Place in fridge until hardened and enjoy!

Get creative with all the fun striped Kisses and Hugs that are out there!

Helpful Hints for Grieving Families to Get Through the Holidays

The holidays can be a difficult time for those grieving the death of someone close to them. Whether starting a new family ritual of continuing your favorite tradition, it's important to recognize this time of year can be hard and to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Here are a few ideas to help you get through while remembering and honoring the person you held dear:

• Talk with your parent or guardian about ways that you are going to remember your special loved one during the holidays.
  
• Start a new family ritual. Go for a walk to look at holiday lights, light a special candle, set a place for your loved one.


• Visit a local ceramic shop and customize special holiday cups, plates, or dishes to use during the holidays.
  
• Write memories of your loved one on scraps of colorful wrapping paper then place them in a clear jar or bowl to put out for a colorful display with meaning.


• Create a support chain with memories of loved ones written on each link.
  

Above all, do your best to enjoy the holiday season and take time to appreciate all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for!

(Thanks to contributing members of the NAGC Griefinar: "Strategies for Helping Families Through the Holidays.")

New TMF website officially LAUNCHED!

Time to celebrate!! :) After months and months of hard work and creative thinking, the Foundation's new and improved website is available for all to see!

TMF's Sandy Hawley led a team of web designers and IT experts in creating a modern, sophisticated and user friendly site that really showcases the many aspects of the Foundation. The site was created with the future of the Foundation in mind and will be a staple in commuinicating our mission to the world for years to come. Nice work Sandy!

Take a few minutes to peruse the new site! Satisfaction guaranteed!

http://www.moyerfoundation.org/

Dream Catchers - A HUGE success!

Dream Catchers was even more incredible than we anticipated!! $1.25 million raised to benefit Camp Erins all across the country!! In addition to the amazing Dreams offered to the highest bidder, guests in attendance were blown away by the energetic atmosphere, amazing food and new memories created with new friends dedicated to helping grieving kids and teens by supporting Camp Erin.

The thank you's are endless when an event like this comes together flawlessly. From the countless Moyer Foundation staff hours to the Dream Makers across the country who made all the dreams possible to TMF's donors, the new and the loyal, to Karen and Jamie Moyer's unending inspiration and support, the dedication of many led to the nights great success!

To help put things into perspective, $1.25 million will help send more than 2,500 kids and teens to Camp Erin! Pretty awesome!

Click here to read more!

Click here to check out some pictures!

Camp Erin Orange County is the first of the new 10!!

The Moyer Foundation is excited to announce our first Camp Erin partner for the 2010 camp season! Spencer Hospice Foundation of Santa Ana, CA impressed Gary and Lesa during their on-site visit in October. They are a unique organization with an incredible amount of community support.

Many congrats! We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership!

All hands on deck for DREAM CATCHERS!

Dream Catchers is coming soon!! The Moyer Foundation staff is all hands on deck to bring together all the details for an unforgettable night. We are still dreaming and have added experiences with Tim McGraw, American Idol and the world renowned IMG sports academy! Full dream details are listed at http://www.dreamcatchersinfo.com/.

REMEMBER - You don't have to attend to BID LIVE! The date is November 7th! Don't miss out!

Less than one month until Dream Catchers!

The time is winding down to the Foundation's biggest event benefiting Camp Erin! Our Dream Catchers event provides guests with a unique opportunity to bid on once-in-a-lifetime Dream experiences. From the decor to the venue to the auction items up for bid, this is not your typical gala. Up for bid are Dreams that can take you from the pits of Nascar racing to the international stage at the 2010 Olympics with Bob Costas to the beauty of Jackson Hole Wyoming. Also included are experiences with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the Aspen Food and Wine Classic with Mario Batali and an appearance on TOP CHEF!

To see a complete list of Dreams up for bid and more event info, visit http://www.dreamcatchersinfo.com/.

Don't miss your chance to be a part of this magical evening to raise funds for grieving kids and teens!

Awesome article on Camp Erin San Diego!

Check out a great article on Camp Erin San Diego! Fantastic job to all!

2009 Camp Erin Season Comes to a Close!

With the completion of Camp Erin San Diego, Albany and Anchorage this past weekend, we have officially concluded the 2009 Camp Erin season!!! 28 camps with 32 sessions in 18 cities across the country and our first international camp in Toronto helped nearly 2,000 campers along their grief journey.

Thousands of hours and hardworking hearts and hands go into making each Camp Erin an unforgettable and healing experience for the campers, volunteers and staff. The Moyer Foundation is extremely fortunate to work with an amazing team of bereavement experts dedicated to creating a safe place for kids and teens to grieve, heal, and most importantly, have fun again! No words can describe our thanks and gratitude to these amazing people.

Now we are in the final stages of identifying the next Camp Erin partners for 2010! Lesa and Gary are traveling as we speak and throughout October to meet with potential partner organizations. Stay tuned for more details!

From Seattle to Hawaii!

Gary Pollock, TMF Executive Director, took some time out of his family vacation in Kona, HI visit the team at Hospice of Kona, our Camp Erin Hawaii partner. Gary truly enjoyed his visit with the staff and was amazed at the beauty that surrounds their facility and all they do! They were able to share stories all of the wonderful things that happened at Camp Erin Hawaii as well as strategize on some ideas for next year. They shared a fantastic video made from still photos and narrated in the words of campers, volunteers and staff. (Stay tuned for a link to the video!)

Thank you Laura, Janette and team at Camp Erin Hawaii for your dedication to helping grieving children!

The Moyer Foundation helps Catch a Cure for Cancer!

This past week The Moyer Foundation held its annual Catch A Cure for Cancer radiothon to benefit early cancer detection research at the world renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Over $47,000 raised! Many thanks to the dedication of the wonderful staff at Warm 106.9, volunteers from TMF and Fred Hutch, as well as, those who shared their stories of cancer survival and loss.

To the many donors from Seattle to Philadelphia who took the time to make a phone call and donate, thank you for doing your part to help find a cure! The doctors and researchers at Fred Hutch are making huge strides towards finding a cure for cancer, but they can't do it without the support of a giving community.

Thanks to all who participated for doing your part in helping The Moyer Foundation Catch a Cure for Cancer!

A great reminder of why Camp Erin is so special!

As the Camp Erin team at The Moyer Foundation work with each camp across the country, we always hear about the different ways Erin Metcalf's (Camp Erin namesake) is felt at every camp. Whether its a timely shooting star, blue heron sighting or a warm presence felt by all, each camp has their story.

Until visiting Camp Erin Portland, I didn't have my story. As the campers participated in the special luminary ceremony on Saturday night remembering the important person who died, a big and beautiful blue heron flew overhead. The goosebumps came as did tears to my eyes. Such a special reminder that Erin's wish of helping other kids is coming true and is the reason behind so many grieving kids and teens getting the help and support they need.

Erin, thank you for your warm spirit and compassionate heart that has helped so many grieving kids and teens across the country see they are not alone and continue on thier journey of hope and healing!

Rachel Chiechi
Camp Erin Community Relations Coordinator