Podcasts about new york life foundation

When someone dies, our relationship with them doesn't just disappear. Sometimes the relationship changes in ways we never expected, allowing us to feel closer to them than we did when they were alive. This can leave us learning to grieve not just for what we had, but for what never got the chance to have with them. In this episode we talk with Never Faull about grieving for their father, who died in 2018 from cirrhosis of the liver. Nev shares how their relationship with their father was distant during his life and how they've found ways to create a deeper connection with him after his death. We also discuss what it was like for Nev, who came out as trans six months after their dad dies, to navigate grieving while also celebrating a new unfolding in their identity.  Topics we discuss: Navigating grief in complex parent-child relationships The impact of undiagnosed autism on family connections Creating meaning and relationship after death The symbols and rituals that help Nev feel a connection with their dad's presence Queer and trans grief resources Never Faull is a queer and trans, disabled, autistic BIPOC writer, photographer, facilitator, and grief tender based in Portland. they explore the intersections of memory, identity, and mourning in their creative work. their current project, The Dead Dad Camera Club, started with the camera their dad left behind, and has become a way to navigate grief through photos and storytelling.  Resources Mentioned The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller Queer Grief Club run by Jamie Thrower  Dead Dad Camera Club newsletter  Grief Out Loud contact: griefoutloud@dougy.org The Dougy Center website: dougy.org This episode is the first in our 2025 three-part series highlighting the voices of communities who have historically been underrepresented in the grief world. The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and The New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy for children and teens who are grieving.

It's impossible to speak for an entire community, especially when it comes to grief, but Sharice Burnett, LCSW, knows a lot about the ripple effect of loss in the Black and African American community in Portland, OR. Born and raised in the community, Sharice is clinical mental health therapist and consultant dedicated to naming and dismantling the larger systemic barriers that stand in the way of Black children and families having access to culturally relevant support, particularly mental health and grief support.  We discuss: Grieving the loss of an entire generation of elders during the Covid-19 pandemic The grief and displacement from the Vanport Flood of 1948 The cultural nuances of grief Historic, intergenerational, and collective grief The unacknowledged grief of racism How each death & loss ripples out to the larger Black/African American Portland community How safety from racial harm is critical to accessing grief support services Sharice's hopes and dreams for creating more culturally relevant grief support Creative grief support & healing spaces for Portland's Black community (Black Rose Wellness)  This episode is the third and final in our 2024 three-part series highlighting the voices of communities who have historically been underrepresented in the grief world. The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and The New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy for children and teens who are grieving.

The Autism & Grief Project is a new online platform designed to help adults with autism navigate and cope with the complexities of grief arising from both death and non-death losses. Alex LaMorie, A.A.S is a member of the project's Advisory Board and brings his lived experience with both autism and grief to this work. Dr. Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv, brings years of both professional and personal grief knowledge to his role on the project's Development Team. The Autism & Grief Project is unique - just as grief and autism are unique - and the site provides information not only for adults with autism who are grieving, but also the people who are supporting them.  We discuss: Parallels between the uniqueness of grief and the individual experience of autism What Alex found to be helpul and unhelpful in his grief Being open to different forms of communication and emotional expression Learning to ask for help The goals for the Autism & Grief Project What Alex and Dr. Doka learned from being part of the project Alex D. LaMorie, A.A.S is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland Global Campus and autism advocate. Alex's expressive grief artwork was recently featured in the textbook Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss (2021, Routledge). He serves as an advisor on the Hospice Foundation of America's Autism & Grief Project. In his spare time, he loves movies and TV shows as well as traveling to Comic Con and Anime conventions with his older sister. Alex also loves creative writing and spending time with his New York family so he can eat the world's best pizza and bagels! Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv, is Senior Vice President of Grief Programs at Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) and recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. He serves as editor of HFA's Living with Grief® book series and its Journeys bereavement newsletter. He is a prolific author, editor, and lecturer; past president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC); and a member and past chair of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement (IWG). In 2018, the IWG presented Doka with the Herman Feifel Award for outstanding achievement in thanatology. He received an award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Death Education from ADEC in 1998. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister and a licensed mental health counselor in the state of New York. This episode is the second in our 2024 three-part series highlighting the voices of communities who have historically been underrepresented in the grief world. The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and The New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy for children and teens who are grieving.

Cristina Chipriano, LCSW, Dougy Center's Director of Equity & Community Outreach and Melinda Avila, MSW, CEO of OYEN Emotional Wellness Center, are committed to changing the landscape of grief support for Latino families. They bring personal and professional grief experiences to the work of ensuring that every Latino family has access to dual language grief support that honors their cultural values.   We discuss: Cristina & Melinda's personal connection to this work Why it's important now, in 2024, to have this conversation What is unique about grief & grief support in the Latino community The concept of family in the Latino community  How grief challenges our sense of self and identity The ways people have been taught to suffer in silence How culture informs grief and grief informs culture Why it's critical for services to be truly bilingual The barriers to accessing services The first thing service providers should be thinking about when meeting with a Latino family Cristina & Melinda's hopes for the future of grief support for Latino families This episode is the first in our 2024 three-part series highlighting the voices of communities who have historically been underrepresented in the grief world. The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and The New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy for children and teens who are grieving. 

In today's podcast I interview Dr. Donna Shuurman, the senior director of advocacy and education for the Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children and Families. Dr. Shuurman also served as Executive Director of the Dougy center for approximately 25 years and was instrumental in growing and shaping the organization into the amazing resource it is today. The Dougy center is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, and their mission is to provide grief support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families can share their experiences before and after a death. The Dougy center also provides support and training locally, nationally, and internationally to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children who are grieving. In addition to her work at the Dougy Center, Dr. Schuurman is an international expert on children's grief, and she has worked extensively with children, teens, and families in grief both after expected and unexpected loss. She has extensive experience working with families and communities after large-scale tragedies and natural disaster including the Oklahoma City bombing, Japan's Great Hanshin Earthquake, the attacks during 9/11 and the Sandy Hook school shootings. After following Dr. Schuurman and the Dougy Center for so many years, I was excited to have an opportunity to spend time together to understand what led her to specialize in children's bereavement, learn about her personal experiences, and provide her with the opportunity to share Dougy Center resources with this audience. Key points: Many adults and even professionals misunderstand the grieving experiences and needs of children and young adults which can be detrimental to their healing and physical and mental health in later life. The bereavement needs among children has become a national problem that must be understood and addressed. Thankfully, organizations such as the Dougy Center exist to provide services, training, and support for childhood bereavement. Current estimates indicate that approximately 6 million children in the United States will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they are 18 years of age. This means that roughly 1 out of every 12 children will experience a death in their nuclear family of parents and siblings. By age 25, this number more than doubles to 14.7 million children and youth who will experience the death of a parent or sibling. These numbers come from the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model, a tool that has been developed by Judi's House and the JAG Institute, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, that approximates rates of U.S. children and youth who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they reach adulthood. This model can also estimate loss by geographic regions and among different ethnic groups. For more information on this model including downloadable resources please visit www.judishouse.org. The death of an immediate family member in a young person's life is one of the most commonly reported difficult childhood experiences. When not addressed, childhood grief and trauma can cause poor performance in school, mental health problems and even early mortality. Grief support and other appropriate services can decrease the risk for future problems and increase healthy adaptation and healing. Dr. Shuurman's advice to families with grieving children was to get support. Even if you reside outside the Portland area, the Dougy Center website has a wealth of resources including their searchable World-Wide directory which lists organizations and grief groups including those trained by the Dougy Center. There are also online resources and worksheets for kids, teens, young adults, parents and caregivers, schools, communities, and resources in Spanish. There is information specific to relationship losses including siblings, parents, grandparents as well as information specific to how a loved one died for example death from COVID, suicide, homicide, accidents, and there are support materials for families who have loved ones who are in the process of dying. If you want an opportunity to connect with Dr. Donna Shuurman, please join our Facebook group “Talking about the Podcast Untethered with Dr. Levin.” The Facebook group includes a direct link to their podcast, Dr. Shuurman's biography and the of course information about the Dougy Center.

Bridget was in high school when her dad died of a heart attack in 2020. Their relationship was complicated. She loved the way her more creative side came out when they spent time together, but she also struggled with how he kept a lot of his history from her. In grieving for him, Bridget's had to reckon with two things being true at the same time. The first is that in some ways Bridget's life became easier and more stable after he died. The second is the reality that she still loves him, misses him, and wishes he could be there for all the milestones unfolding in her life.   This series is a part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and the New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy on behalf of children and teens who are grieving. Download a copy of the New York Life Foundation's newest resource for teens who are grieving - Lost in the Middle.

  When John's father died of suicide in 2021 it came as a complete shock. John couldn't square the dad he knew as cool and levelheaded with the reality that he took his life. He tried to figure it out - what was going on for his dad that led him to this? Over time, John began to better understand some of the factors that contributed to his dad's death. Throughout it all, he turned to his family, friends, and himself for support in navigating this new world without his dad.  This series is a part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and the New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy on behalf of children and teens who are grieving.  Download a copy of the New York Life Foundation's newest resource for teens who are grieving - Lost in the Middle. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out. You can call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text HELLO to 741741.

Sonja was 15 when we recorded in the summer of 2023, but was just 10 when her father, Matt, died in September 2018 from injuries due to a car accident. Sonja, her mom, and two younger siblings lived in NYC at the time of his death. They eventually moved across the country to Portland, Oregon where they attended peer grief support groups at Dougy Center. Sonja shares what she remembers about hearing that her dad was in an accident, how their community showed up while he was in the hospital, and how they kept showing up after he died. We also talk about her dad and what it's like to be the oldest sibling who had the most time and memories with him.   This series is a part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and the New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy on behalf of children and teens who are grieving.  Download a copy of the New York Life Foundation's newest resource for teens who are grieving - Lost in the Middle.

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Legacy companies are still around today for a reason: they've developed exceptional products or services, nurtured their workforce, and committed to serving their communities. Take New York Life: at 177 years, the company and its Foundation have a long history of supporting family legacies and leading on the issue of child bereavement.Recent events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasized the importance of this work. It also highlighted how underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by many issues, including loss. Already committed to providing financial security, protection, and peace of mind, New York Life created a new pillar focused on social justice to address and drive access to generational wealth.We invited Heather Nesle, President of New York Life Foundation and Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, to share how the Foundation launched its new pillar and continues to drive impact for families around the country.Listen for more insights on:How a legacy company maintains and develops philanthropic focus areas to remain relevant and impactful.How to engage employees and stakeholders in difficult or sensitive topics.Training your workforce to be advocates for issues that matter to your company and stakeholders.Advice on how to approach social impact work when you're creating a new campaign, starting a new project, or launching a new pillar.Resources + Links:Heather Nesle's LinkedInNew York Life Foundation Grantmaking“New York Life Foundation adds social justice pillar”Grief Sensitive Schools InitiativeKai's Journey: A Book Series About Grief, Strength, and LovePurpose 360 (2020): New York Life Foundation's Heather Nesle & Maria Collins on Grief and Bereavement During the COVID-19 PandemicPurpose 360 (2018): Leadership Through Focus — New York Life Foundation President Heather Nesle (00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360 (00:13) - New York Life (02:20) - Heather Nesle (04:05) - Heather's Role (05:07) - Focus and Alignment (06:41) - Pillars of Their Focus (08:23) - Kai's Journey (10:14) - Defending Against Naysayers (11:53) - Agent Training (14:02) - Agent Experience (15:28) - New Third Pillar (17:53) - Supporting Generational Wealth (18:49) - Billion Dollar Commitment and First Loss Protection (20:20) - Mixing the Pillars (23:11) - Being a Pleasure to Work With (24:21) - ESG (26:03) - Benchmarking (28:44) - Power of Focus (30:27) - Volunteerism (32:39) - Last Thoughts (34:03) - Wrap Up

This episode features a conversation with Jodi Grant, Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance, the nation’s preeminent advocacy organization for afterschool programming. A veteran of public policy, Jodi has led the group for the last 15 years. In that time, the Afterschool Alliance has produced multiple updates of its “America After 3 PM” Report, the most comprehensive examination of the afterschool field, including a recent look at some of the specific challenges and opportunities of afterschool programs for middle school aged youth.Jodi and Jason talk about how the demand for afterschool programming, which has never been higher, is not being met with adequate funding - especially for middle and high school aged youth - the inequities in afterschool that have been perpetuated by the COVID pandemic, how afterschool plays an essential supportive role as young adolescents explore opportunities for their futures as well as navigate the complexities of the current world, and an exciting new funding opportunity specifically for middle school afterschool programs being awarded in partnership between the Afterschool Alliance and the New York Life Foundation.Additional Readings and ResourcesAfterschool AllianceAmerica After 3PMAmerica After 3 for Middle School YouthLights On AfterschoolNew York Life FoundationAim High grant program: Supporting Middle School Afterschool Programs Serving Middle School Youth21st Century Community Learning CentersThe Missing Middle – Federal Funding by Grade Span, Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, Alliance for Excellent Education, April 2019.

Kevin Boston-Hill speaks with Jodi Grant, Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance and Heather Nesle, President of The New York Life Foundation, about how after-school programs impact students and families.

I had such a great discussion with Maria Collins of the New York Life Foundation and Chelsea Prax from the American Federation of Teachers for this episode. New York Life and the AFT recently teamed up to do a new survey about grief and grief support in schools in order to especially understand what the challenges are right now during this pandemic. Some topics Maria and Chelsea and I discuss include: Findings of the new survey on grief in schools from New York Life Foundation and the American Federation of Teachers; Some challenges and struggles teachers are seeing in their classrooms due to the pandemic; How parents can partner with their child's teachers to help their child; Bereavement training for teachers available from the AFT; and Resources for parents and teachers from the New York Life Foundation. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Maria Collins and Chelsea Prax. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Audible - Get a FREE audiobook and 30-day free trial: www.audibletrial.com/widowedparent BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent Blue Apron - Special offers for listeners of the podcast: jennylisk.com/blueapron Support the show: Patreon, Merch, and More -=-=-=-=-

We’re back with another special edition of Cause Talk Radio in which we feature a deep dive conversation with one of this year’s Halo Award winners.This episode features a double Halo Award winner: winning Gold for the Disaster Prevention/Relief category AND winning Silver in the Employee Engagement category is an effort called ‘Creating Grief Ambassadors’: a partnership between New York Life and First Book.Megan is joined by Maria Collins, VP of the New York Life Foundation and Kisha Dimbo, Senior VP of Strategic Alliances for First Book to talk about their award winning effort that focuses on childhood bereavement and how they’re working together to support children and families when tragedy strikes.Links & Notes First Book WebsiteNew York Life Foundation

Cigna is a global health service company with a mission to improve the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those it serves. These objectives have been on display as Cigna has been a leader in innovation throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Vice President Sean Jolley is here with the details. SEAN JOLLEY From the start of the pandemic, Cigna acted quickly to ensure our employees are safely working at home and our customers have access to the care they need. We're providing critical financial support to community organizations and supporting employers with information and other resources. We've removed financial barriers for Covid-19 testing and care. We've expanded access to telehealth – for both medical and mental health – and we've introduced innovative digital tools for early detection and screening. And, we're protecting our customers from “surprise” bills from out of network providers. We activated a toll-free help line available to anyone, so they can talk to a clinician. And together with the New York Life Foundation, the Cigna Foundation has established the “Brave of Heart Fund” to help the families of healthcare workers who lost their lives fighting COVID-19. In Utah, we're focusing on food security for school children by funding the Granite Education Foundation Student Meals Packs and the Alpine School District Foundation “Principal's Pantry.” DEREK MILLER These are only a few of the programs provided by Cigna. To learn more, go to Cigna.com. To speak with a clinician, call 866-912-1687. I'm Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, and this is Speaking on Business. Originally Aired: June 16, 2020.

New York Life has a long-term commitment to a difficult issue: childhood bereavement. As a life insurance company, aligning with bereavement is entirely authentic, and the company has made great strides to provide support and comfort to grieving children and their families.During the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of bereavement has only become more acute. Heather Nesle, President of New York Life Foundation, Vice President Corporate Responsibility and Maria Collins, Vice President of New York Life Foundation, joined Purpose 360 to talk about New York Life’s innovative efforts to give back during COVID-19.Listen for Heather and Maria’s insights on:How New York Life quickly scaled up The Brave of Heart Fund, a $100 million joint initiative with Cigna to provide cash and mental health resources to the family members of essential workers who have died of COVID-19.Why New York Life created The Golden Sweater, a children’s picture book (with accompanying resources) that helps children cope with the bereavement journey.How New York Life is going above and beyond to provide COVID-19 support services to employees, customers, and their loved ones—from expert Q&As to resources to ease social isolation.Links & NotesAbout New York LifeNew York Life FoundationNYL Bereavement ResourcesThe Brave of Heart FundThe Golden Sweater“Speaking Grief” DocumentaryConnect with Heather Nesle on LinkedInConnect with Maria Collins on LinkedInPrevious Episode: New York Life on Purpose 360

Maria Collins, Vice President of the New York Life Foundation, joins Grief Out Loud to discuss three new initiatives to support grieving children and their families: 1) The Golden Sweater, a children's book about grief, 2) Speaking Grief, a multi-platform public media project, produced by WPSU, and 3) The Brave of Heart Fund which provides direct monetary support to children and families of those who die working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing that the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting communities of color, especially the Black and Latinx communities, and that these communities also face economic disparities and a lack of access to services, the Brave of Heart Fund is a vital resource.  Resources Download The Golden Sweater children's book Learn more about The Brave of Heart Fund Watch a trailer for Speaking Grief New York Life Foundation's Ask the Experts series COVID-19 School & Community Resources Grief Sensitive Schools Initiative

On this episode, we invited CIGNA Market President for Georgia and Alabama, Bryan Holgerson to explain how CIGNA is leading the way to help protect customers, clients, communities, health care providers, and their own employees from the COVID-19 pandemic, including its Customer Protection Program which safeguards customers from surprise bills by out-of-network providers for care related to COVID-19 treatment. Bryan shares Cigna's Express Scripts' new program to ensure Americans can continue to afford their prescription medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any American who loses health care coverage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can use Express Scripts Parachute Rx to secure many of their medications at affordable and predictable prices. Bryan explains how CIGNA is waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, telehealth screenings, and treatment. And finally, Bryan will tell you about CIGNA's efforts to honor COVID-19 front line responders through the Cigna Foundation along with the New York Life Foundation, The Brave of Heart Fund which provides monetary grants to survivors of front-line U.S. healthcare workers who give their lives in the fight against COVID-19.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had such a great discussion with Heather Nesle and Maria Collins of the New York Life Foundation for this episode. Heather discusses their new initiative – The Brave of Heart Fund – which provides monetary grants to the family of front-line healthcare workers and volunteers who lose their lives because of Covid-19. Please share this discussion with all healthcare workers you know – they or their colleagues may need it. Maria discusses the New York Life Foundation's work in the area of childhood bereavement, including their new e-book download for kids, The Golden Sweater. It's free to download, plus they are donating $1 to childhood bereavement programs for each download. She also discusses the new documentary, Speaking Grief, and tells us how to watch. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Heather Nesle and Maria Collins of the New York Life Foundation.

I had such a great discussion with Bethany Gardner and Molly Hasson at the Eluna Network for this episode. Eluna is a national grief support network here in the US, and they run both Camp Erin, for grieving kids, and Camp Mariposa, for kids affected by a family member's addiction. Some of the topics we discussed include: Eluna's online resource library; Personalized support available free through Eluna; Camp Erin, for grieving kids who have lost a parent or other close family member; Camp Mariposa, a mentoring and support program for kids ages 9-12 affected by a parent's addiction; and The New York Life Foundation's extensive involvement in and support of Eluna's programs. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Molly Hasson and Bethany Gardner of Eluna.

I had such a great discussion with Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns of Judi's House for this episode. Judi's House is in Denver, Colorado, and Jessica is the CEO and Micki is the chief clinical officer. One reason I love the work Judi's House is doing is that they put equal emphasis on both direct client services and real, critical research to advance our collective understanding of childhood bereavement and best practices. Plus, Jessica is a widowed parent and past client of Judi's House, so it was wonderful to talk with her about her journey and reflections. Some topics we cover on this episode include: Jessica's journey as a widowed parent after her husband died by suicide when her kids were 7 and 11; Juggling a demanding job along with her grief and her kids' grief; Her number one desire to protect her kids; The importance of telling her kids the truth about their dad's death; Her family's experiencing as clients of Judi's House; The founding of Judi's House by Brian Griese and Brook Griese; The Judi's House Pathfinders program for youth ages 3-25 and their families, and the measurable positive outcomes; Stats on childhood bereavement from the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model that Judi's House has developed and partnered with New York Life Foundation on; Why childhood bereavement is a critical public health issue; How emphasis on preventative care in the mental & behavioral health field is lagging emphasis on preventative care in the physical health field; and The relative lack of research into the needs and challenges of bereaved families. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns of Judi's House.

In 2018, The Dougy Center was selected as one of a handful of children’s bereavement programs to partner with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation on Road to Resilience: Memories that Move Us Forward. Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one.   In this mini-episode, Traci talks with Amira and Alina about what they remember and miss about their daddy.  *Music by Chad Crouch.* 

In 2018, The Dougy Center was selected as one of a handful of children’s bereavement programs to partner with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation on Road to Resilience: Memories that Move Us Forward. Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one. Partnering on this project meant a group of staff and volunteers from The Dougy Center trained with StoryCorps staff to facilitate 40 minute conversations with children and their adults. At the end of each recording, families decided if they wanted to archive their conversations both with StoryCorps and the Library of Congress. They also chose if they wanted to share their recording with us at The Dougy Center. Over the next few months, you'll hear short clips of these conversations in a series of mini-episodes. In this third mini-episode, Ruby and Jana talk about Ruby's amazing Grandma Riba who died when Ruby was a young teenager. *Music by Chad Crouch.*

Maria Collins, Vice President at the New York Life Foundation, and Brennan Wood, The Dougy Center's Executive Director join us to talk about the business of supporting grieving children and families. The New York Life Foundation provides funding for a wide variety of children's grief initiatives focused on research and evaluation, direct service, and resource development and accessibility. The Dougy Center recently received a $1 million-dollar grant from the New York Life Foundation - the largest grant we've received in our 36-year history! In our conversation we discuss the projects this grant funded and also how Brennan and Maria have been changed by this work. Projects and initiatives mentioned in this episode: StoryCorps Road to Resilience: Memories that Move Us Forward   The Dougy Center's Road to Resilience Collection   Judi's House/JAG Institute Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM)   ASU's Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Families    National Alliance for Grieving Children Grief Reach Grants   Coalition to Support Grieving Students/Grief Sensitive Schools Initiative  

In 2018, The Dougy Center was selected as one of a handful of children’s bereavement programs to partner with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation on Road to Resilience: Memories that Move Us Forward. Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one. Partnering on this project meant a group of staff and volunteers from The Dougy Center trained with StoryCorps staff to facilitate 40 minute conversations with children and their adults. At the end of each recording, families decided if they wanted to archive their conversations both with StoryCorps and the Library of Congress. They also chose if they wanted to share their recording with us at The Dougy Center. Over the next few months, you'll hear short clips of these conversations in a series of mini-episodes. In this second mini-episode, Megan, Michael, and Mason talk about life after Michael and Mason's dad died.   *Music by Chad Crouch.*

At The National Alliance for Grieving Children, 23rd Annual Symposium on Children’s Grief; Tendo Mutanda talks about The New York Life Award, underwritten by the New York Life Foundation, it […] The post New York Life Scholarship with Tendo Mutanda appeared first on Open to Hope.

This episode kicks off a new series exploring the realm of parenting and grief. We’ll be talking to parents about what grief looks like at different ages & developmental levels, how they support their kids while also making time for their own grief, and what works and doesn't work for their kids in the intense and confusing landscape of grief.  In this first episode of the series we talk with Josh about parenting his daughter Sylvia after his wife Kari died of suicide when Sylvia was just 5 1/2. His story might sound familiar if you listened to Ep. 117, which is a brief clip of a longer Road to Resilience conversation Josh and Sylvia recorded as part of our partnership with StoryCorps and The New York Life Foundation. If you missed it, be sure to check it out!

In 2018, The Dougy Center was selected as one of a handful of children’s bereavement programs to partner with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation on Road to Resilience: Memories that Move Us Forward. Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one. Partnering on this project meant a group of staff and volunteers from The Dougy Center trained with StoryCorps staff to facilitate 40 minute conversations with children and their adults. At the end of each recording, families decided if they wanted to archive their conversations both with StoryCorps and the Library of Congress. They also chose if they wanted to share their recording with us at The Dougy Center. Over the next few months, you'll hear short clips of these conversations in a series of mini-episodes. In this first episode, Josh and Sylvia talk about what it was like after Sylvia’s mom died of suicide when Sylvia was just 5 1/2.  *Music by Chad Crouch.*

“If you have kids, ask them questions about it, talk to them. Don't just like leave them to grieve and mourn on their own. Especially if they're really down, you might want to ask questions and ask if they want to go through some therapy or something like that.” - Megan Lisk I have a very special guest in the podcast studio with me today … my daughter, Megan Lisk. Megan is 12, and her dad -- my husband -- died when she was 9. And for what it's worth, it was Megan's idea to be my guest on the podcast this week. I was lamenting the fact that various circumstances had left me with no episode ready to go this week, and she said, “you can interview me!” I figured, why not? It was great for me, personally, to be able to have this sort of in-depth discussion with her. The kind we don't normally have in the day-to-day busyness of normal life. It reminded me of my discussion with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation last time, about their Road to Resilience project, and the space that it opens up for parents and kids to talk about their loss and their loved ones. I hope that our discussion today might inspire you to sit down with your own kids and talk about your experiences, too. You can even record your conversation in the StoryCorps app if you'd like. You can listen to episode 28 for more details on that. And, I hope that hearing first-hand from a 12-year-old who lost her dad might be of use to you as well. I hope you enjoy my discussion with my daughter, Megan Lisk.

"Road to Resilience is a project in partnership with the New York Life Foundation to record the stories of kids grieving the death of somebody who is important to them. It's really meant to give them a space to talk about who they are and share their grief stories and grief journeys, and memories of the important person in their lives." - Perri Chinalai, StoryCorps I had such a great discussion with Perri Chinalai of StoryCorps and Maria Collins of the New York Life Foundation for this episode. StoryCorps is a nonprofit based in New York, and basically, they bring people together – regular people like you and me – and have them talk with each other to record and preserve their stories and their life experiences. And when I say “preserve their stories,” I really mean just that – anyone's recordings can be archived at the Library of Congress and available for generations to come. I invited StoryCorps to talk with me for this episode because they have a special project right now to bring together grieving parents and their kids to talk about their loved ones, and their experiences of loss. New York Life – which has a longstanding and deep commitment to the field of children's bereavement – partnered with StoryCorps on this project. I'm so happy they were able to join this discussion to talk about the Road to Resilience project, as well as many of the other projects they are partnering on, and the childhood bereavement resources available on their web site. Some of the things we talked about include: What is the StoryCorps Road to Resilience project, and who are their current partners; What it means to families to be able to have these conversations with each other; How families near New York City, Houston, Portland, Louisville, Baltimore, and Traverse City, Michigan, can get involved with the first 6 organizations partnering on this project; The toolkit that StoryCorps will have available in Fall 2019 for additional organizations to utilize; The StoryCorps app that anyone can download to record their own stories; Tips for conducting a StoryCorps-style conversation in your own home; Why it is so important to New York Life to support the field of childhood bereavement; Additional bereavement resources that New York Life offers free of charge on their web site; The Coalition to Support Grieving Students and their Grief Sensitive Schools initiative; and Some results of the recent childhood bereavement study conducted by New York Life. We also have a special treat for listeners: we get to listen to two of the StoryCorps Road to Resilience recordings, including the new animation just released this week in honor of Father's Day. I think this project is fantastic, and I'm so happy to highlight what they are doing and how you can get involved. I hope you enjoy my discussion with StoryCorps and the New York Life Foundation.

In grief, having the opportunity to tell your story can be vital. Grieving children and adults want the chance to talk about the people they are grieving and express how these losses have altered their lives. StoryCorps, a non-profit working to preserve and share the stories of people from all backgrounds, recently launched a new project in partnership with the New York Life Foundation called Road to Resilience, Memories That Move Us Forward. As part of this project, StoryCorps is partnering with children's bereavement programs across the US to offer grieving children and their adults the opportunity to record a conversation and tell their story. The Dougy Center is honored to be one of those partnership sites. Our guest, Modupeola Oyebolu, is a national facilitator with StoryCorps and she joins us to talk about what it's like to grieve both in the US and her home country of Nigeria, the power of storytelling, and resilience she's witnessed in recording conversations with grieving families.  Check out Olivia's featured Road to Resilience story.

Pets, education, and community parks – these are feel-good social impact efforts that brands like to support. Rightly so, as they are worthy efforts that are easy to talk about. Yet, not all companies align most authentically with such issues. As a provider of life insurance, New York Life Insurance Company faces a difficult reality each day: that their customers may pass away. This reality often means that children lose parents, siblings, or loved ones, at which point they enter a bereavement period. One in 15 children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18, according to a recent study with the JAG Institute and the New York Life Foundation. It’s a sad issue, and one that is under-supported by corporations with the resources and expertise to drive awareness and positive impact. As an issue that directly affects New York Life, its people, and its customers, the company embraced the issue of child bereavement wholeheartedly – making it central for its social purpose. How does New York Life have such a profound impact for children and families that have lost loved ones? They partner with experts. Ten years ago, a child bereavement camp asked New York Life for support. The opportunity resonated strongly with the company. A decade later, New York Life has given $7M+ in grants to more than 230 organizations. Experts at the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) manage New York Life’s Grief Reach program. In addition, the Foundation launched the Shared Grief Project with Experience Camps, which captures stories from celebrities and athletes about losing a loved one at a young age and how they found motivation through their experience. These partnerships aren’t only with experts in child bereavement. The New York Life Foundation recently partnered with StoryCorps to leverage the organization’s capabilities in encouraging powerful conversation through storytelling. They help smaller organizations scale their capabilities. Since many child bereavement experts are relatively small, they lack the expertise and size to partner with a company as large as New York Life (with 10,000 employees and 12,000 agents). The New York Life Foundation helps these organizations grow. They invite all grantees to special sessions at the National Alliance for Grieving Children Conference each year to educate them on critical elements to growth: board development, fundraising, tax law, and more. Due to New York Life’s extensive national child bereavement network, the organization was positioned to provide rapid relief following the Newtown shooting, establishing the Newtown Resiliency Center. Following the Parkland tragedy, many individuals reached out to the Newtown Resiliency Center, who in turn referred them to the New York Life Foundation. The Foundation was then able to provide 10,000 booklets for members of the community to facilitate conversations about the tragedy. They engage and activate their people from the top down. New York Life deeply integrates the issue of child bereavement into its culture and operations. This starts at the top with buy-in and ongoing support and participation from CEO Ted Mathas, who also acts as Chair of the New York Life Foundation Board. Strategic programming development, management, and evolution is conducted by cross-functional team that taps expertise from across the organization: from the Chief Diversity Officer and people resources to marketing and government affairs. New York Life’s commitment to child bereavement is activated “on the ground” nationally through the company’s 12,000 agents, who are educated on the issue such that they can have nuanced conversations with their customers – whether or not they may be affected by the issue. Agents often hand-deliver claims, which include child bereavement resources when appropriate, and can participate in grief counseling conversations. It’s a thoughtful and human approach that is authentic to New York Life’s ethos to “be there for people when they need it most.” This is only a peek at insights from this powerful – and moving – conversation with Heather Nesle about New York Life’s journey to authentically align with a social issue, embed it in the business, advance knowledge of it, and drive meaningful change. Share your take on this episode using the hashtag #Purpose360 and tagging us at @purpose360pod on Twitter. Resources New York Life Insurance Company New York Life Foundation New York Life Bereavement Resources New York Life’s Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative Heather Nesle on LinkedIn