SANTA BARBARA — Hospice of Santa Barbara announced today a $15,000 Grief Reach grant from the New York Life Foundation to support their Youth Bereavement Outreach Program, which provides on-campus counseling to secondary school students dealing with overwhelming feelings of grief.
“We are grateful for the New York Life Foundation’s investment in this program, which will help us build our capacity in order to fulfill our mission,” said David Selberg, Chief Executive Officer of Hospice of Santa Barbara. “The support will help many grieving children and their families in our community to begin the healing process.”
“Grief Reach applications have grown exponentially since the program began five years ago, which illustrates that awareness and demand for bereavement services is increasing every year,” said Maria Collins, vice president, New York Life Foundation. “We have responded to the demand by broadening the application parameters and increasing the financial support so that even more grief service providers can reach diverse and disadvantaged youth across the country.”
The New York Life Foundation created the Grief Reach program to help providers overcome barriers to bringing grief support services to youth not served by existing bereavement programs. More than 200 Grief Reach grants totaling over $7 million have been awarded since the program’s inception in 2011. The New York Life Foundation has been one of the leading funders of the childhood bereavement field, investing $35 million to date in support of grieving children and their families.
About the New York Life Foundation: Inspired by New York Life’s tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided $240 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports programs that benefit young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement. The Foundation also encourages and facilitates the community involvement of employees and agents of New York Life through its Volunteers for Good program. To learn more, please visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a serious illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara is also present on eight local junior and high school campuses to work with children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org