NEW HOPE FOR KIDS
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Mission Statement
New Hope for Kids provides a comprehensive program of support to children and families grieving the death of a loved one and grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.
About This Cause
New Hope for Kids has the only comprehensive grief support program in Central Florida that focuses on children and families. New Hope for Kids mission is to provide specialized support to children and families grieving the death of a loved one, grant wishes to children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses and provide family activities and events for special needs children in Central Florida. Our Qualifications: New Hope for Kids is incorporated in the State of Florida and registered with the State of Florida as required by the Florida Solicitations of Contributions Act. New Hope for Kids files an annual 990 return and is audited each year according to generally accepted accounting principals. 93% or more of our revenues have gone directly to the children’s programs since 2000. In 2013, the percentage was 93%. New Hope for Kids Grief Program is directed by Ms. Tamari Miller, MA with the assistance of more than 60 volunteer grief facilitators. The grief facilitators volunteer their service for a period of one year or longer. Ms. Rosie Wilder, MA, MHC directs our Wish Program and our Family Events and Activity Program for special needs children and children attending the grief program. Funding: Funding for our programs comes from local and national foundations, corporations, service organizations, individuals and fundraising events. Grief Support Program: Children attending this program will learn to work out grief issues with specialized activities in the company of counselors and peers. They will learn techniques that enable them to solve problems in a healthy way. Our structured approach will help prevent anguished children from spiraling downward toward self-destruction and enable them to become healthy, self-sufficient members of the community by: 1) Teaching them proactive ways to work through grief related issues and other problems that arise in life. 2) Teaching them self-confidence, self-reliance and the capacity to make healthy choices. 3) Teaching children to deal compassionately with others who are troubled or in pain. We offer the only program in the Central Florida area that addresses grief and bereavement needs of both children and their caregivers, a crucial program feature because the death of a loved one affects all family members and often causes irreparable family upheaval if unresolved grief issues are not addressed. The program is designed to last for one full year in order to adequately deal with all the grief issues that arise as anniversaries and special family occasions occur. Children may stay longer if they need additional support. Our Program Activities: Our Grief Program has incorporated innovative methods into traditional grief counseling by focusing on an interactive series of oral, written and hands-on activities in the company of peers and counselors. This has proven to be highly successful at helping children overcome problems and become healthy again. The program, almost entirely interactive, is designed to help the child within the grief center, at home and out in the community. This is achieved by working with the child and the primary caregivers. If necessary, teachers and school counselors are consulted. This approach is intended to be comprehensive and have long-term benefits that go beyond the current grief issue. The adult caregiver learns how children grieve. He/she learns methods of dealing with behavioral problems and to use listening and feedback to improve communication. This all helps provide structure and routine at home which is essential if the child is to regain a sense of security. While participating in the program, children learn to value themselves and use techniques that help them channel negative feelings, through art, journaling, play, conversation or sports. The children meet with their peer groups in an informal non-clinical setting and begin the session with a formal greeting and a structured age-appropriate grief activity. For older children this may be an oral exercise which lets them discuss specific problems or feelings they may be having. Counselors may use pictures or stories to help the younger children talk about these issues. Age groups are littles (3-6), middles (7-12), and teens (13-18). The role of the counselors and trained volunteer grief facilitators is to help the child learn to express feelings to peers and to the adult facilitators who serve as a sounding board of sorts. As they hear their thoughts reflected back, they learn how their feelings affect their behavior and outlook on life. A few simple rules insist on respect for others. Each child may take turns expressing him/herself and others listen with no put-downs allowed. The structured pattern of the grief sessions is deliberate. The structure of the children's lives shattered when their loved one died and it is essential to create another comfortable, safe framework they can live within. Soon they will begin to develop a new, safe structure in group, within their family unit and in the outside world. After the designated grief activity the children choose unstructured activities like painting, dress-up, puppetry, games and the hurricane room. The hurricane room has padded walls and floor, and a punching bag, so kids can work out their feelings of aggression without hurting themselves or others. The unstructured play also has a purpose. Many of the "toys" relate to experiences the children may have had while the loved one was dying or after the death. The children can act out aspects of the experience that confuse, trouble or intrigue them. Most use painting and crafts to recreate memories of the deceased. There is no other program in Central Florida like New Hope for Kids to help these children. We are the only organization that addresses the needs of children and helps their caregivers work with them at home. This is crucial because the death of a loved one affects the entire family structure. Without intervention most children find it difficult to talk to parents, who are also grieving, for fear of causing them even more pain. Adults tend to shield the child by not discussing the death, thinking that talking about it will make the problem worse. Our working philosophy is that problems are not solved unless they are dealt with. Although we focus on grief issues, the ability to take a problem solving approach combined with open communication and channeling techniques will help children and families solve new difficulties that will invariably surface throughout life. New Hope for Kids makes every effort to grow and evolve to meet the specific needs of our community year after year. We are the local authority on death and grief issues in the public sphere. We accomplish this without government funding, relying on support from individuals, civic groups, foundations and businesses in our community. They support us because we help families overcome grief problems and move on with their lives. We use all donations efficiently (no inflated salaries or administrative costs). 93% of revenue goes to program services and all donations stay in the community. When we approach them for help, they are familiar with someone that has received our services. In 2013 400 children and 260 adults went through the grief program.164 kids attended our summer camps, 2000 kids and 620 adults participated in family events and more knock on our door every day. We have incorporated University of Central Florida students from the Cornerstone Business program into the fundraising, grief and wish granting process and they helped us raise more than $80,000 last year. The Homicide/Suicide Special Circumstance Group is our newest addition and unfortunately, this group has the greatest growth rate of any of our programs. Why does the community need New Hope for Kids Grief Support Program? The Central Florida community needs a proven resource that helps children and families resolve grief related trauma and become healthy again. New Hope for Kids is submitting this proposal because a growing number of troubled children are entering our Grief Program, many as survivors of a family suicide or homicide. Unresolved grief resulting from a family death, particularly when due to a homicide or suicide, leads to long term problems for a child, ranging from depression to suicide. If left untreated, these children will often become dysfunctional as individuals, as family members and as members of our community. New Hope’s intensive grief support program helps children and families resolve traumatic issues before they lead to greater problems.