about me

Who We Are

Woman-founded & woman-led.
Grief and love at the core.

Our History

In February, 1989, Sara Loy was stillborn. She was a beautiful 9 lb., brown haired little girl. Her mother, Becky, was devastated leaving the hospital without her.

But living without her was worse.

In September of that same year, Becky opened the doors of Camp HOPE in memory of her daughter. She was absolutely in awe when 50 children signed up. Fifty children. Children whose grieving families were willing to have faith that they would be safe, loved, and supported at Camp HOPE, even during its very first weekend. Camp HOPE became the first camp for grieving children in Wisconsin and one of the few in existence across the nation.

And it remains in the family

Founder and President

Becky Kraemer Loy

Camp HOPE was founded by Becky Kraemer Loy in September 1989 in memory of her daughter, Sara Margaret. For 30 years, Becky ran Camp HOPE, each spring, fall and winter, serving thousands of children and families through some of the most painful times of their lives.

Becky is married to Marty Loy and, in addition to Sara, they have four children; Maria, John, Ted, and Emma.

Connect with Becky

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Executive Director

Maria Loy

In July 2023 we welcomed Maria Loy as Camp HOPE's Executive Director. Maria is the oldest daughter of Becky. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with degrees in Art and Psychology and then went on to receive her Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver. From there, she found her footing in K-12 education, discovering the power of schools to influence real-world change. After a decade working as a school social worker focusing on equity and social justice, she made her move to higher education, and now, in addition to Camp HOPE, she also works as a Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in their education department.

Maria's passion for Camp HOPE started at an early age and she likes to tell people that "she grew up talking about grief at the kitchen table." She started volunteering as a junior counselor as soon as her mom would let her... and the rest is history.

When not putting together camps, outreaching to communities experiencing grief and loss, or educating college minds, you can often find Maria painting in her art loft, hiking with her rescue dog, or hitting up some good hole-in-the-wall restaurants with her partner, Will.

Connect with Maria

Mail

Who We Are

Woman-founded & woman-led. Grief and love at the core.

Our History

And it remains in the family

Woman-founded & woman-led.
Grief and love at the core.