We at HOPE Connection devote ourselves to helping people who have endured the loss of a spouse or a parent. But we couldn’t do our job without the support of the entire HOPE community. The letter below was crafted by Deborah Elder-Brown on behalf of HOPE’s Executive Director, Dr. Jo Christner.
We invite you to download a PDF of the letter and share it with anyone who may be looking for a place to heal, or who may wish to become a HOPE angel. — The HOPE Connection Board of Directors
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. – Anne Lamott
Loss, for many people, can feel like the start of a dark and lonely highway, of a night so long that morning is unimaginable. Fortunately, a friendly shoulder, a willing ear, a heart who knows the way, can light a candle and reassure you that, against all odds, the sun will rise again. This is the power of compassion and community, two things that HOPE Connection does best.
We, at HOPE, have long offered Spousal and Parental Loss groups across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, led by trained and compassionate therapists. We also have a strong and thriving Mentoring Program, where members who have completed our two-year program make new members feel welcome…and so much less alone.
And because dawn brings its own questions – Who have I become through grieving and healing? How will I face a new day? – we also offer a New Beginnings Alumni Group. New Beginnings is a place for members who have completed the two-year bereavement program to stay connected and begin to create a new life as a “single” person. These groups are a place to explore family and friendship dynamics, changes in values and beliefs, new grief issues, dating, and any other topics that come up as this new future unfolds.
But we can’t do it alone. It is your support that gives us the strength and the backbone to build a better community. Your referrals help hurting hearts find us, and your contributions help us to help them walk a healthy journey through loss.
Please take this opportunity to become a HOPE angel by sending a contribution today. We have enclosed a donation envelope, or you can conveniently donate online.
Hope is one of the most powerful words in the English language. Gratitude is another. Thank you so much for helping us bring hope to more hearts on the journey from grief to life.