Mission Focus on Children’s Grief, Bereavement, and Hospice Services Directs Grants
The Parmenter Foundation, a Wayland-based charitable organization providing support for end-of-life care and bereavement services, announced $236,000 in new grants to MetroWest Boston nonprofit organizations offering programs and resources in the areas of grief support and hospice care.
The grants, delivered in Parmenter’s mission-focused areas of children’s grief support, adult bereavement, and hospice care, come as Massachusetts endures the staggering impacts of the Omicron variant and recently passed the grim milestone of 20,000 COVID-related deaths in the Commonwealth.
“Never in our 70+ year history has our community been more impacted – and more aware of – the lifelong journey presented by grief,” said Angela Crocker, Executive Director of The Parmenter Foundation. “Our grief-centered and hospice care grantee organizations have been tested in unimaginable ways during this pandemic. These grants will have immediate and meaningful impact for them and the MetroWest families they serve.”
Children’s grief continues to be a key focus in the Parmenter mission of providing hope to MetroWest families. HEARTplaySM of Wayland was among the organizations to which Parmenter granted thousands of dollars in funding to provide direct services to support children who are grieving.
HEARTplay serves children, teens and young adults of all abilities who are coping with the life-limiting illness or death of an important person in their lives. The nonprofit organization currently offers peer-support groups for children, teens, and young adults in Wayland and Newton, as well a free, weekend bereavement camp for youth who are grieving.
The grant announcements mark just the beginning of support and resources planned by Parmenter in the new year. Parmenter will accept applications through Apr. 1st for another cycle of grants to be announced later in 2022.
The organization also recently released a new series of resources on grief associated with pet loss, including a five-part animated video series, “Unconditional Love, Unique Loss,” which explores the grief, guilt, and stigma associated with the loss of a pet including perspectives from a local veterinarian, a certified pet chaplain, and a veterinary social worker.
The Parmenter Foundation provides hope and support for community members who are grieving or in need of compassionate end-of-life care. The Foundation provides funding for nonprofit organizations that deliver high quality, innovative bereavement programs and palliative care, and offers educational and inspirational resources that help adults and children navigate through the challenging grief process. The Parmenter Foundation is committed to helping MetroWest families build resiliency and facilitating their journeys toward healing.
