Tara McHenry
Welcome to Tara's Build The Castle fundraising page!
Hey friends and family, I've jumped on a fundraising team for a program that has been near and dear to my heart for 5 years now. I was quick to accept the role of a team leader because I know that I am friends with (and related to) many many people who have giving hearts, and I know that together we can make a HUGE impact in the lives of so many deserving kids who have suffered the unimaginable loss of a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, a friend. Even the smallest donation goes a long way with this program. Let me tell you a little bit about the program and why it means so much to me.
The mission of SandCastles Grief Support Program is to provide a caring place for children, teens, and their families who have experienced a death. SandCastles offers quality community-based family grief services, which encourage peer support and are enhanced by educational outreach. There are several locations across Southest Michigan and these program sites rely heavily on volunteers and donations. Sandcastles is a non profit, so without your donations and people willing to volunteer to facilitate these groups, the program cannot operate. The Clinton Township site, which is where I volunteer, has 2 staff members and 12 volunteers who come together twice a month for a few hours to do what we can to provide a safe place for children, teens, and their families to grieve while feeling both supported and heard. Children ages 3-18 participate in a variety of crafts, games, and activities designed to help them learn to cope. While the children are in their small groups (based on their age), the adults who bring them are able to meet with a counselor from the staff and are given a safe place to vent and hold eachother up during an unimaginable time.
I first joined sandcastles in 2014 after attending a training at the suggestion of my sister Karli who had heard about their summer camp program and decided to become a volunteer herself. We had just lost our dad to stomach cancer 3 months prior, and our mom had just been found to be in remission of her own cancer, lymphoma, very shortly before our dad passed. It was one of the hardest times of my life, feeling grateful to have been given much more time with my mom and yet at the same time knowing I would soon never see my dad again. When my sister told me about the program I could hardly wrap my head around how a child would feel when faced with experiencing the same type of death I had just experienced in my mid 20's. I was not sure if I was going to be ready to help these kids, but I also knew they badly needed volunteers and that I had to try. For the last 5 years it has been such an amazing way for me to keep my dads memory alive and to do something good in his honor. Joining this program as a volunteer is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not everyone can give the gift of time, but if you are reading this and can skip that morning coffee and put even just that 2$ towards a one time donation, I promise you the money will go to good use.
Each year Sandcastles sends more than 100 children off to summer camp for 2 nights where they can both focus on their grief and on being a regular kid surrounded by peers who just "get it". This camp is absolutely free to sandcastles families, which is why fundraising is so important.
It is our goal to continue to offer these programs free of charge to all families dealing with loss.
You can also help me to reach my goal by sharing this page on Facebook and Twitter! Or, send an e-mail to friends and family you think might be interested in contributing and include a link to my page. Feel free to share why you are a supporter and be sure to include a link to my fundraising page and ask for donations.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for joining me in helping to sustain this valuable program and to help Build The Castle!
-Tara
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