The Hope & Healing Place

Who We Are

The Hope & Healing Place stands as a beacon of light to children making their way through perhaps the darkest season of their lifetime. Waves of grief come crashing down all around them and unless they are taught to navigate these treacherous waters they are in jeopardy of drowning emotionally. HHP staff and volunteers do not hesitate to dive into the brooding water to bring the children safely to the other side of this flood of pain. The Hope & Healing Place was founded on the belief that every child, teen and adult deserves the opportunity to grieve in a supportive and understanding environment. We believe that grief is a natural and normal reaction to the loss of a loved one. Though the duration and intensity of grief is unique for each individual, we believe each person has the natural ability to heal oneself. ​HHP is a safe environment where grieving children, families and individuals come to begin their healing journey. Mourning precedes healing and it has been found that connecting with others who are also grieving lessens the pain and normalizes their experience. HHP programs offer children in mourning the opportunity to meet other children who are experiencing the same emotional challenges for a time of acceptance, understanding and fun as they are guided down a healing path by trained volunteers at no cost to individuals and families. Grief support groups have been found to be one of the most effective intervention strategies for child grief, as the shared experiences of a group setting offers normalization of grief experiences (Siddaway et al., 2015). It is typical for bereaved children to isolate themselves and socially withdrawal because they feel alone in their grief and feel that others do not understand them. The bereavement group experience offers destigmatization of the death of a parent or loved one.