ALH Launches Newtown Program with Regional Hospice of Western CT. Healing Hearts Center

Many thanks to all of you who responded to our December appeal letter after the unfathomable tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

As a result of your response to our letter and your generous support of the June 2012 Gala, we have been able to provide the funds needed for immediate support to both the families directly impacted by the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Newtown community.

We immediately started speaking with Healing Hearts Center for Grieving Children & Families located in Danbury regarding their long-term response to this tragedy. We have partnered with Healing Hearts, a program of Regional Hospice of Western, Connecticut in the past and during the last two weeks of of December and early January, actively worked with them to help identify areas of serious need.

We helped empower them to provide free services specifically for the Newtown families and community in January with the award of a $50,000.00 Grant. We also underwrote the expenses to bring Dr. Donna Schuurman, Executive Director of The Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon and an internationally recognized authority on grief and bereaved children, teens and families to speak and meet with the Newtown community during the week-end of January 11-14, 2013.

In addition to the Children and Family Group, Healing Hearts Center is also conducting a twice-monthly Parent Group at Newtown Family Services for the parents of surviving children from Sandy Hook; an After-School Teen Program starting this week; and are also in the process of forming a twice-monthly group for Sandy Hook School teachers who have requested continued support. 

Grief support services will be needed by the first responders and their families, teachers, school employees, classmates and friends of the children and staff who lost their lives in the years to come. People are seeking help and Healing Hearts Center is responding.

Your generosity is making this all possible!