Free day camps in Santa Barbara County help children fleeing disastrous LA fires cope with grief
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.—The sound of laughter is bringing light to a dreary situation.
“The kids know what's going on. Many know that their homes are burned down or could could not be safe. It's a scary time,” said Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness Suzanne Grimmesey.
The California Department of Education says over 5,000 students have been impacted after the wildfires destroyed 15 schools.
Many survivors of the fires are relieved to have their loved ones safe— but they are still dealing with immense grief.
“Grief oftentimes is thought about surrounding the death of someone, but grief is very much a part of a loss of something. So there may be the grief of losing what you've always known as community,” said Grimmesey.
That sense of community is being rebuilt in Santa Barbara one day camp at a time.
Free day camps have popped up at the Santa Barbara Zoo and Santa Barbara’s Museum of Natural History.
These camps offer kids and parents a break from the stress and uncertainty of being displaced.
“Being able to provide child care, we're creating a space where kids can process and also that support mechanism for parents to do what they need to do, whether it's navigating social services, returning to work. We have kids at camp whose parents are first responders. All of that is what it really means to provide community resilience,” said Project Camp Executive Director Mikey Latner.
The camps also provide a place for kids to learn and grow.
Everything is facilitated with a trauma informed lens.
“We’re not asking them like this. What was their experience with the fire or the smoke or any of the trauma they had? We're asking them, what are they experiencing right now? How are they interacting with their current environment? Where are they thinking and allowing them to open up if they feel safe or comfortable about what has happened?” said Clay Sipiora from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Girls Inc in Carpinteria has also opened its doors to kids for a few hours a day.
“It was kind of like a mixture of sadness because they are still feeling really heavy feelings, but also like a breath. I feel like when they got here, they were so excited to see the playground. They were excited to go into the gym and they were excited to start painting. So it's like a mix of both, I would say,” said Girls Inc. Program Manager Melissa Cornejo.
Melissa Cornejo says the LA fires hit close to home.
She’s originally from Los Angeles, and her dad is a firefighter who is currently battling the Palisades Fire.
“It's like a bright sunny day here in Carpinteria. But the pictures he's sending, it's it looks like it's dark. They're all the action. And it's really scary,” said Cornejo.
Cornejo’s experience helps her understand what these kids are dealing with, and her expertise in childcare helps her know how to hold space for them and have difficult conversations.
Sometimes part of addressing what’s been lost means reframing the narrative in healthy ways.
“it's not necessarily the magnitude of the event itself that causes the longer term negative traumatic reactions. It's our experience with the event. So for these children, changing that experience by building in, yes, we were evacuated, but we went to camp and we were loved on and we had fun and we had music and we played changes their whole experience with what happened. And it’s the same thing for adults,” said Grimmesey.
Grimmesey recommends going outside, taking walks, and staying connected to friends and peers.
She says continuing to build structure during these uncertain times is critical.
“ It doesn't have to be anything extreme but something so your mind doesn't have to work so hard. It knows what to expect during the day,” said Grimmesey.
For those struggling with mental health during this time, you can call the free Behavioral Wellness Access Line at 888-868-1649.
Workers here will connect you and your loved ones to life saving resources free of charge.
