Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) provides a wide range of amazing services to support the families and co-workers of fallen officers. One of those is Kids Camp. Each summer, C.O.P.S. hosts the children of fallen officers at a traditional summer camp in Wisconsin. Here is a story from an employee at the national headquarters of C.O.P.S.:

I will never forget attending our last C.O.P.S. Kids Camp. We got to camp and welcomed a sweet six-year-old boy, Cameron. Cameron did not want to be at camp, and he wasn’t afraid to make sure everyone at camp knew it. Cameron lost his father in the line of duty when he was just three years old. His mom has been active in the Spouses Retreat we host and other programs ever since the loss, but Cameron could not attend Kids Camp until he turned six, so this was his first year in attendance. Throughout the week the mentors, staff, and other survivors all made an intentional effort to welcome Cameron. What I love about this story, is that by the end of the week, Cameron was begging his mom to stay. If he could have purchased a house at C.O.P.S. Kids Camp, then he would have. You see Cameron realized at just six-years-old, that while he may be the only kid in his school, community, or even city, who lost a father in the line of duty, he is not the only one. When he is at C.O.P.S. Kids Camp, he is surrounded by other kids who have gone through something similar to him. And in that, he has found hope. And in that hope he is starting to find healing. I think this paints such a perfect picture of what C.O.P.S. is all about, because at just six-years-old this child was able to realize that he is not alone. That there are so many others who have gone through something similar to him, and who want to walk alongside him in his healing journey.

Cameron’s name was changed in this story so his identity isn’t known.