Ferncliff recently hosted a “Responding to School Violence” conference which brought together camps from around the country and survivors of school shootings. It was a chance for camps to learn from the remarkable healing that happened at Ferncliff for Jonesboro’s Westside Middle School students and others. Now, thirteen additional Presbyterian camps have taken the first major step toward being able to offer healing experiences for students if traumas occur in their parts of the country.

“I was amazed at the caliber and credibility of the survivors,” said Paul Humphries of Crestfield Camp and Conference Center outside Pittsburgh. “Richard Martinez was with us and I watched his news conference back home in Australia last year.” Richard lost his only son, Christopher, in a shooting at U.C. Davis last year. He has become a nationally recognized leader in the movement to prevent gun violence. Ericka Lafferty shared with the participants as well. Her mother, Dawn Hocksprung, was the school principal killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Sharing the story of their trauma, but also of the healing they experienced at Ferncliff, were Jessica and Brandi from Jonesboro’s Westside Middle School and Christine from Columbine. Brandi was joined by her mother Brenda, who assisted as planning team member and brought a parent’s perspective. The women from Westside shared their memories from March 24, 1998 and the journey of healing which they continue to this day. “After and during those five years of special camps at Ferncliff there were still bumps in the road, but the love we were shown at Ferncliff brought us hope and light.” “The sole purpose of the staff was to ‘be there for us’ and I truly believe those camps saved my life.”

Christine and Jessica in particular have stayed involved with Ferncliff ever since they attended the healing camps. Jessica returned to be a summer camp counselor. Christine went on to help with healing camps at the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota and another in Reno, Nevada. Both Jessica and Christine have a deep sense of calling to help others heal from school shootings.

Jaime Alverson, with Mom’s Demand Action, a non-profit advocating for gun sense in the United States, said “through our search to find programs that have helped children and youth heal from school shootings, we believe that the eight camps over five years at Ferncliff constitute the only longitudinal experience conducted and what a great model it gives us.” The healing camps at Ferncliff that concluded 13 years ago continue to have a positive influence and are now serving to equip other camps to carry on the ministry of healing and the message of prevention.