One of the Spy’s favorite summertime engagements is with Compass Regional Hospice’s Camp New Dawn, a grief retreat for children held annually at Camp Pecometh near Centreville. In past summers, we have attended daily activities and grief workshops but this summer we wanted to take part in the commencement that included the children and their family members. The video includes Camp New Dawn Director Rhonda Knotts, Counselor Georgia Wilkerson, Camp Coach/Mentor Jane Anthony, and Assistant Director Mark Wade, a few of those who honored the children who attended.
For 31 summers, Camp New Dawn has welcomed grieving children, teens, and families from across the Mid-Shore to a retreat where they can share loss, build coping skills, and discover they are not alone. The four-day, three-night camp, hosted by Compass Regional Hospice, has become a lifeline for families navigating the isolating experience of grief.
“Most of us don’t talk about our grief in everyday life,” said Camp Director Rhonda Knotts. “Here, you don’t have to explain why you feel the way you do. Just being with others who are grieving makes the world a little brighter.”
Each day at Camp New Dawn blends activities, workshops, and group sessions that help campers identify and express their grief. This year’s program included testimony from a 19-year-old who lost her mother at 12 and went on to publish a book of poetry about her loss. “The kids were in awe,” Knotts recalled. “Kids listen to kids.”
From there, campers joined in centering exercises with singing bowls and superhero yoga stances before breaking into groups to discuss coping skills. “You can’t expect anyone—let alone kids—to sit in a support group for 90 minutes straight,” Knotts said. “So we create variety: inspiration, movement, conversation. It’s about meeting them where they are.”
The camp’s success depends on its volunteers and the generosity of the community. Donations range from art supplies and drinks to home-cooked meals. One supporter provided pounds of homemade macaroni and cheese for a Friday night dinner, “because kids love mac and cheese,” Knotts said with a smile.
That generosity extends beyond supplies. Nearly one-third of this year’s adult “buddies”—volunteers who are paired one-on-one with a camper—were once campers themselves. Others return year after year, transformed by the experience. “Our hope is that volunteers leave wanting to shout it from the rooftops,” Knotts said.
Georgia Wilkerson, a longtime Compass hospice nurse, has volunteered at Camp New Dawn for more than 20 years. Today, she helps lead grief groups.
“Showing up is the hardest part,” she said. “Once they’re here, we praise their courage and then guide them through activities that give language to what they’re feeling. A tummy ache, a headache—it might be grief. We help them connect the dots.”
For some children, words aren’t enough, so counselors use art, music, and color to help them express feelings. “What color is your grief?” Wilkerson might ask. “Sometimes that opens the door.”
Since its founding in 1994, Camp New Dawn has remained central to Compass’s mission. Knotts said the organization’s leadership is committed to its future. “Not every hospice has the resources to run something like this,” she said. “But our CEO told me recently: as far as she’s concerned, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Camp New Dawn never dries up.”
For the hundreds who have passed through its doors, the camp offers more than activities and meals. It offers connection, resilience, and hope. As Knotts put it: “Grief is universal. But when you share it, healing becomes possible.”
For more about Compass Region Hospice, go here.
