Bereaved Parents of the USA has chapters across the country that help grieving parents and families rebuild their lives after the death of a child. We want you to know you are not alone on your grief journey. BPUSA understands and cares about you and knows that as bereaved families, we truly share “A Journey Together.” Once a year we sponsor a National Gathering Conference that offers speakers, workshops, and special events to honor and remember our children. (Read More...)
Mission & Vision Kara’s mission is to provide grief support for children, teens, families and adults. Our guiding values are empathy and compassion. Every day we provide caring support to children and adults affected by loss and grief. Our vision is to see people of all ages compassionately supported on their journey through grief so they can move toward renewed hope and meaning. We serve individuals who are grieving a death as well as those managing a terminal illness (their own or another's). History Kara' s founding is rooted in the early 1970s, when a growing awareness swept through the United States, England and other countries that the way contemporary society handled death, based in the medical establishment, was inadequate. The seminal work of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and the emerging hospice movement stimulated discussions about death and dying in Palo Alto and other communities. During this same period, Dr. Charles Garfield established the Shanti Project in San Francisco to train and engage volunteers to serve and support dying patients. Palo Alto Projects, modeled after the Shanti Model of Peer Support, was incorporated in December 1976, with 17 peer counselor volunteers. In February of 1978 the organization's name was officially changed to Kara to more accurately reflect its grief support focused mission. Today, our staff and over 150 trained volunteers serve and support those who are grieving in our community. Kara does not espouse a particular religion or philosophy. We encourage those we serve to draw strength from their own personal spiritual beliefs, family, friends and other community resources to build sustaining support. (Read More...)
Peter’s Place is a center for grieving children and families located in Radnor, PA. At our center, we offer age-appropriate peer support groups for children ages 4–17. While the children meet, their parents and caregivers have an opportunity to participate in their own peer support group. Additionally, Peter’s Place offers a group for young adults, ages 18-25, and a specialized peer support group called Ryan’s Hope, which is for parents who have experienced the death of a child as a result of addiction. (Read More...)
The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is the national association, which provides leadership in hospice palliative care in Canada. The CHPCA offers leadership in the pursuit of excellence in care for persons approaching death so that the burdens of suffering, loneliness and grief are lessened. (Read More...)
Wings-a Grief Education Ministry is a 501 c-3, non-profit, charitable organization founded by Nan & Gary Zastrow in 1993 with the express purpose of helping others understand the impact of loss/grief in one’s life. The organization supports and educates by listening, teaching, and sharing grief experiences that honor the past and rebuild the future. It offers workshops, seminars, support/education groups, and articles to heal the pain of loss. Current information is posted at their website. (Read More...)
Baby’s Breath is Canada’s only national organization focused on sudden unexpected infant & childhood deaths, including SIDS, SUDC and stillbirth. Baby’s Breath provides support for families faced with the traffic loss of an infant or young child. They advocate for the needs of these families, as well as for the need for more research into the causes of these deaths. They educate the public on how to reduce their infant’s exposure to risks. The death of an infant is a devastating event not only for the parents, but for the entire family. Siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends are all affected by the sudden death of a baby. Baby’s Breath believes no one should endure the grief of such loss alone. They are there to help. (Read More...)
M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death) is a Christian non-profit organization that reaches out to families that have lost a baby to miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death. M.E.N.D. was founded by Rebekah Mitchell in 1996, one year following the stillbirth of her son, Jonathan. We are based in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex where we offer a variety of monthly support groups. We also have chapters across Texas and several additional states. For those who don’t live near one of our chapters, we offer an online support group the 3rd Thursday of each month at 9:00 PM CST. Additionally, M.E.N.D. publishes free bi-monthly newsletters that are distributed all over the world. Each issue focuses on a different topic pertaining to pregnancy and infant loss. And, each chapter of M.E.N.D. has its own Facebook group, which enables grieving families to connect with one another. Every person involved with M.E.N.D. in a leadership level has personally experienced the death of a baby. We are not professional counselors, we are experts by experience. (Read More...)
Brighter Days Grief Center is a nonprofit organization serving grieving families in the state of Minnesota. They provide free grief support resources, services and programs to adults, young adults, teenagers and children who are grieving the death or terminal diagnosis of a beloved family member. Through their many partnerships and gracious donors, they tailor compassionate resources for each family member including access to grief and trauma support, legal and financial guidance, peer-based connections and youth/family events and workshops. Their signature program, Embrace-A-Family, provides financial assistance for basic necessities, academic support and psycho social care. Additionally, they work with schools, churches and community organizations to ensure grieving children and families receive compassionate and appropriate support in all settings. To learn more, visit their website at www.brighterdaysgriefcenter.org (Read More...)