The Umbrella Project: Frederick family creates nonprofit to help young people experiencing loss

Jan. 27--Eliane Coates, now 26, hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2016, after her father Vince Coates died from pancreatic cancer the previous year.

The healing journey was the inspiration for the Umbrella Project, so named for Vince Coates' own "umbrella project," wherein the local artist would use umbrellas in flash-art installations.

The launch party for the nonprofit, a grief program specifically focused on people 18 to 25 years old, took place on Sunday and was host to over 175 people.

"I looked everywhere for either bereavement programs, grief programs for kids their age and couldn't find anything," Patricia Weil Coates said, reflecting on the time after her husband's death when her children Eliane and Liam were 22 and 17, respectively.

The idea of creating a program for people from 18 to 25 who have experienced a loss to heal through hiking bounced around in Weil Coates' head until she took the first step about a year ago by speaking with her own hospice grief counselor, an executive at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and a friend who is involved in the nonprofit community.

"It's been moving pretty quickly and that's thanks to all the many people who are volunteering," she said.

The Umbrella Project will host two trips on the Appalachian Trail this year, one in June and one in October, and all equipment will be provided to the hikers. There will be hike leaders with special training accompanying the groups.

Linda Beckman is a licensed clinical professional counselor specializing in grief therapy and she serves on the Umbrella Project's board. She also works with the Wellness Committee.

"Many young people have a hard time reaching out to talk about feelings, let alone having someone close to them die, so doing something in nature, hiking the trail, I believe will help people be able to open up and also discover new aspects about themselves, especially new coping strategies to help them deal with their grief," she said.

Weil Coates said the project honors Vince Coates and symbolizes shelter and inclusion.

"We've had nothing but positive response," Weil Coates said.

Tim Jacobsen heard about the Umbrella Project through Clyde Hicks, who owns The Trail House, an outdoor apparel and equipment store in Frederick.

Jacobsen's wife died about a year ago and he has two children around the ages the project focuses on.

He said getting involved in outreach can benefit anyone of any age after experiencing a loss.

"I know for me just wanting to get involved in this has helped," he said. "Knowing that I'm doing something for other people makes me feel good and I think that for a lot of other people that's probably the same."

Eliane Coates said her Appalachian Trail hike helped her grieve and taught her independence and self-reliance.

"We just wanted to create something that would fill a need," she said.

Coates said that hiking provides few distractions.

"It gives you the time to do all the mental processing that you need to," she said.

The Umbrella Project launch party, hosted at Smoketown Creekside, featured a silent auction, an art sale and live music.

Bruce Zavos attended the event and said Vince Coates was a unique person.

"To turn that loss into something so positive like Patricia Coates is doing, and her volunteers, it's amazing, I mean it's just amazing," he said.

Zavos said he hopes the project grows to have a state, or even national, presence.

Eliane Coates said she's eager to spread awareness of outdoor recreational therapy.

"I'm just looking forward to more people getting to have great times out on the [Appalachian Trail] like I did," she said. "It will be really cool to help other people."

Kristen Redwine is on the Umbrella Project's Board of Directors and serves as the committee chair for the Marketing and Events Committee.

Redwine went to high school with Eliane Coates and became involved in the project partially due to the loss of her mother in 2013.

She said having a group like the Umbrella Project would have changed the experience a lot.

"I have such a good group of friends that I know I could have reached out to them at that time but I knew they weren't experiencing what I was," she said. "At my time in my life when I was 22, if I would've went out with a group like this it definitely would have been life changing."

Follow Hannah on Twitter:

@hannah_himes.

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