Organizations and Programs

My Happy Place is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, comprised of volunteers dedicated to making a real difference in the life of a sick child and his/her family. We do so by providing qualifying recipients with a bedroom make-over, thus providing them with a fun, safe, and therapeutic environment where they can thrive and heal.

Grief is a unique experience for each person. In an effort to be responsive to the varied experiences of grief, the Hospice Bereavement Program offers several types of support services. All of the following services are offered free of charge, and are open to residents of the communities served by Mayo Clinic Health System Hospice.

Alive Alone

An organization for educational and charitable purposes, to benefit bereaved parents whose only child or all children are deceased by providing a self-help network and publications to promote communication and healing.
www.alivealone.org

Bereaved Parents of the USA

Aids and supports bereaved parents and families coping with their grief following the loss of a child.
www.bereavedparentsusa.org

Camp Oz

Camp Oz is a day-long grief camp for children and teens, ages 6 to 18, who have experienced the death of someone in their life. Grief is a normal response to death. Camp Oz gently guides children through the complex emotions of grief by showing them they are not alone.
mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Centering Corporation

Provides materials, education and resources for the bereaved.
www.centering.org

Children’s Grief Connection

Bringing Hope to Minnesota’s Grieving Children.
www.childrensgriefconnection.com

GriefNet.org

Grace Happens. GriefNet.org is an Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss.
www.griefnet.org

GriefShare

GriefShare is a support based group that helps you face your challenges and work at rebuilding your life after a loss. They focus on three elements; video seminar with experts, group discussions, and workbook-based study and discussion.
www.griefshare.org

Hospice Foundation of America

Learn about hospice care and programs, read excerpts from hospice publications, order books and videos and learn about the annual bereavement teleconference which is co-sponsored by the Hospice Foundation of America and The Compassionate Friends.
www.hospicefoundation.org

Infants Remembered In Silence, Inc (IRIS)

Infants Remembered In Silence, Inc (IRIS), a non-profit organization, supplements the care given by the medical, mental health, and religious communities by providing resources and referral information, support and education to parents, family, friends, and professionals after a child dies in early pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, miscarriage, etc) or from stillbirth, neo-natal death, birth defects, illness, accident, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sudden unexplained death of a child (SUDC), and all other types of infants and early childhood death.
www.irisRemembers.org

MADD

We Care. We may be able to help. For information on victim rights, financial assistance for crime victims through the Minnesota Crime Victims Reparation Program or other free and confidential help through MADD Victim Services 800-487-6233

Memory Bears

Pins and Needles Alterations is a full service alterations business with many specialties. As a special outreach to the community locally and nationally, they created custom memory bears. These bears are made from fabric that holds a memory for the owner. Most of the bears are made from garments from loved ones that are no longer within arm’s reach. The bears allow them to hold and love the garment again and hopefully replace a bit of their sadness with happy memories of better times.
www.katobears.com

MISS Foundation

National volunteer-based organization committed to providing crisis support and long-term aid to families after the death of a child from any cause.
www.missfoundation.org

My Forever Child Loss Keepsakes

Handcrafted and personalized child loss keepsakes – it is for anyone touched by the loss of a child, from pregnancy to adult child.
www.myforeverchild.com

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Administers a network of nearly 3,000 volunteer professional photographers who, at a family’s request, will come to your hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session.
www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

Schools Responding to Crisis

Dr. Scott Poland is President of NASP and a member of the National Emergency Assistance Team for NASP. He led the NOVA national crisis teams in Paducah, Kentucky and Jonesboro, Arkansas following school shootings. He is the author or co-author of numerous books, chapters and articles on crisis intervention, including three NASP Best Practices chapters. He recently published School Violence: Lessons Learned (1998, Sopris West).
Email: PolandNASP@aol.com

SUDC Foundation

The SUDC Foundation is dedicated to increasing the awareness of sudden unexpected deaths in childhood, and funding crucial research to better understand and prevent these tragedies. We are the only organization worldwide devoted solely to the needs of families and professionals touched by unexpected/unexplained deaths of children.
www.sidsresources.org

Survivor Resources

Dedicated to helping families and loved ones recover from the shock of homicide, suicide and sudden accidental death.
www.survivorresources.org

The Dougy Center

The first center in the US to provide peer support groups for grieving children. We’d like to share with you what we have learned from over 13,500 children, teens and families we’ve served since 1982. The Dougy Center is a non-profit organization which is totally privately supported and does not charge a fee for services.
www.dougy.org

The Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends is a non-profit, self-help support organization for families who are grieving the death of a child of any age, from any cause.
www.compassionatefriends.org

Wings of Hope

Wings of Hope serves as a resource to families who’ve suffered a miscarriage and is based out of Mankato, MN. They have a pregnancy loss memorial and miscarriage common burial site at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato, located along St. Jerome Drive.
www.wingsofhopemankato.com

Wellness in the Woods

Wellness in the Wood’s mission is to be a voice for individuals with a mental health experience, and fortify opportunities that positively impact and inspire communities and support systems. They also focus on suicide prevention.
http://www.mnwitw.org

Yellow Ribbon

Yellow Ribbon is a program for the prevention of teen suicide. The focus is on public awareness, education and training to help communities build new and/or strengthen existing programs.
www.yellowribbon.org