Vol. 126, No. 9
INSIDE A message from Board of Directors ➤ Pg. 3
Camp photo pages ➤ Pgs. 12-15
Sales news ➤ Pgs. 4
hermannsonslife.org
September 2023
Event will benefit Grief Support Camp
Healing Hearts
SAN ANTONIO – Play bingo for a chance to win a designer purse while helping raise funds for the Hermann Sons Life Grief Support Camp exclusively designed for children who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The Home Office will host the very first Healing Hearts Purse Bingo on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m. at the Home Office, 515 S. St. Mary’s St. in San Antonio. The event is open to members and non-members. “We’ve never done an event like this one, but we wanted to try something that would be fun and exciting while raising funds for such an important cause,” Vice President of Member Benefits Cecily Kelly said. “Every year we see how the Grief Support Camp touches the lives of these children who have suffered a loss of someone so important in their lives. The Camp gives them a chance to not only receive healing therapy, but to engage in lots of fun activities with other children who are experiencing the same emotions they are.”
Individual tickets are $50 each and include one book of bingo cards, lunch and two drinks. Lodges, businesses, members or non-members can sponsor a table for six for a cost of $300. It includes one book of bingo cards, lunch and three drinks for each of the six players, a reserved table with logo of choice, six “white bingo” cards that can be used on any game, six daubers and six Hermann Sons Life koozies. Extra bingo game books will be sold for $25 and “white bingo” cards will be sold for $5 each or 5 for $20. Daubers and drinks will be available for purchase as well. The Grief Support Camp came to fruition in 2017 as part of Hermann Sons Life’s focused service cause of grief support. The session is held at the Hermann Sons Life Camp facilities in Comfort. Each summer a special halfweek session is held focused exclusively on children ages 8-17 who are grieving the loss
of a close loved one. During the session, the campers work with licensed therapists in groups and individually. The healing process also includes participation in a variety of fun camp activities. In 2023, Hermann Sons Life held a special spring break camp in partnership with the Bluebonnet Advocacy Center for children of Uvalde. The center was providing services to the children and their families following the tragic shooting at Rob Elementary and agreed the camp session would be a beneficial healing experience for these children. The goal is to make it possible for children to attend the session at no cost. The Grief Support Camp session is made possible by generous donations. The total cost for one child to attend this special half-week session is approximately $500. Donations for the Grief Support Camp can be made online at hermannsonslife. org, click Store. For more information on the bingo, to donate purses or other items for a raffle or auction, contact Leonni Avalos at 210-226-9261, ext. 238.
Hilltop Camp hosts Membership Picnic Members enjoyed the day at Hilltop Camp on Saturday, Aug. 5. Guests, young and old, gathered for the Membership Picnic in Comfort. Activities, from swimming to arts and crafts, kept children busy. Others kept cool in the dining hall visiting, playing dominoes and cards. The team from the Sales Department provided insurance information and answered questions. They also had a spin-the-wheel game for prizes and a recommender drawing. Everyone enjoyed a barbecue lunch and other refreshments throughout the day from popsicles to s’mores!
See photos on Pg. 17