Mission: Serving the needs of all Homicide Survivors in Northeast Florida with immediate and long-term support, grief recovery assistance and life rebuilding skills founded on a unique peer support and counseling program.

Results: Youth Hope was developed in conjunction with Camp Maddie as a quarterly day-camp program to augment and complement the weekend camp program to reinforce and enhance the coping skills of our young survivors in dealing with their tragic loss in a positive fashion. The Arlington Family YMCA serves as the primary site for Youth Hope sessions, with occasional sessions at local parks and community facilities. Our youth program initiative, Camp Maddie, is a three-day residential camp that takes place at YMCA’s Camp Immokalee in Clay County, Florida and serves NE Florida Child Survivors of Homicide (ages 7 to 17). Sessions typically scheduled in mid-May each year. The primary goal of Camp Maddie is to provide the children with coping skills to better understand and deal with their grief. The camp staff includes mental health professionals experienced in dealing with children’s grief, along with trained volunteers.

Target demographics: Homicide Survivors

Direct beneficiaries per year: 7,240 Homicide Survivors

Geographic areas served: Northeast Florida

Programs: Crisis Intervention, Long-Term Grief Support, Peer Support/Counseling, Assistance with Victim Compensation, Referrals/Coordination with other Organizations for Services & Assistance, Support Meetings/Programs, Criminal Justice Support/Advocacy, Court Escort, Youth Camps & Personal Advocacy.