The mission of the Solace Tree is that all children, teens and their family members have the freedom to express their feelings associated with death in a safe and loving environment. The organization’s peer support programs and educational opportunities help children and teens learn to cope and adjust to the changes in their lives.
The Solace Tree is a support program for grieving children, teens and families believes that children and teens heal by being able to outwardly express their feelings with peers who are also grieving a loss. This sharing plays a significant role in a child being able to adjust to the changes in their world and the likelihood that they will have a healthier life. Having the opportunity to express grief and learn about it after a loss enables children, teens and families to grow.
The Solace Tree serves more than 200 children, 50 teens and their 100 adult family members or caregiver(s) each month. Its 15 open-ended peer support groups meet every other week and are divided by age, type of death (illness, sudden death, homicide, suicide) and who died (parent, sibling, grandparent or friend). Since it was founded in 2004, the Solace Tree has served more than 4,000 children, teens and their families and has received national acclaim for its peer support group model for helping children and teens cope with the death of a family member.
The Solace Tree never charges families for our services, and we receive no government funding. We are supported entirely by private donations and professional training fees; and rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses and foundations.
The Solace Tree is raising money to someday provide a home where children, teens, and families can obtain support from trained volunteer/facilitators under one roof. Children need a safe place to grieve their loss with their peers – a place where they can see they are not alone.
Click here to learn more about Solace Tree.
Click here to help fulfill a Solace Tree wish.
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