Austin summer camp helps children dealing with the loss of a loved one

AUSTIN, Texas - For the first time in two years, an Austin summer camp that helps children dealing with the loss of a loved one is back to an in-person experience.

Around a dozen kids ages 6 through 12 are attending Camp Red Bird, a five-day summer camp held at the Austin Center for Grief and Loss.

"My favorite thing about camp is the community of people because it's really nice to be around people who have experienced similar things," said Jake George, a camper.

Just like any other summer camp, the campers love everything they get to do at Camp Red Bird, but this camp is not just any summer camp. Camp Red Bird is for kids going through loss.

The camp teaches them how to grieve as kids through therapeutic games and activities with other kids going through similar situations.

"We want them to stay kids and also feel like they have a place to go to deal with the death of their loved ones," said Pendo Mugofwa, a camp counselor.

For Pendo, she takes pride in helping these kids deal with their losses. It is the main goal of the camp, but it is also a personal goal of hers since she also lost a loved one at a similar age.

"As a kid, we view grief and death very differently. When you're a child, it's much more confusing, and so I think that when I lost my brother, that was kind of the case scenario, so being able to understand that as I've gotten older and help other kids, it's just everything that I want to do," she said.