May 2018 Newsletter
Run for Hope Highlights
Top 4 Highlights Include:

  1. 1,486 registrants! MOST EVER.
  2. $510K RAISED, 46% more than our goal.
  3. Top fundraiser, and Spirit of Hope Award Recipient, Nico Mizrahi.
  4. Team Whelan, our largest team, with 110 registrants.

Thank you for your support
and for helping kick-off
OUR 25th Anniversary.
Click below for video highlights!
Get to Know the Leaders Behind this Year's
House of Hope Gala!
Jamie, Mani & Michelle
25th Anniversary Gala Co-Chairs
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2018
Location: Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City
Learn More: 25 Years of OUR HOUSE
Q: Why do you chair the OUR HOUSE House of Hope Gala?

Michelle : This is the second time I've chaired the gala and I love it. I get to show my friends and family what OUR HOUSE is truly about. Grief is something we will all encounter; no one person is immune. It is a great comfort to know that OUR HOUSE is there for people to turn to for support. Our amazing volunteers give so much of themselves and it shows in everything from groups to Camp Erin.

Mani: ​I love throwing big parties and this is a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of OUR HOUSE.

Jamie:  It allows me to apply my efforts and love for this great organization. Having the chance to share the stories of OUR HOUSE and bring energy and interest to the Gala gives me pride; my kids are also very proud of me.  

Q: What is your favorite part of the evening?

Michelle: By far the agency video and testimonials. The children and parents who speak are so brave and offer a raw behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lasting benefits of our services.

Mani: All of it. It is always special to hear OUR HOUSE alumni share their experience with our organization.

Jamie: Anticipating the connectedness people will feel when they experience such a special evening.

Q: What do you love about OUR HOUSE?

Michelle: I joke with Board members that when I first met the founder of OUR HOUSE, Jo-Ann Lautman, she "had me at hello." Anyone who has ever met Jo-Ann knows exactly what I mean. She is this incredibly dynamic woman who inspires everyone around her. She is the warmth, the love, and the determination that makes OUR HOUSE such a special place.

Mani: I love that we make a difference in people's lives.​

Jamie: That it's a safe place for kids. As the world is moving faster and we are becoming more automated and have less human contact, in group there is nothing but human contact. Here we have real connections and conversation. Stories and memories are shared and listened to. It’s a sacred space.  

Q: In honor of our 25th anniversary, what were you doing when you were 25?

Michelle: 25 was a great year for me. I had recently moved back to Los Angeles and started a new "grown up" job, got engaged to my college sweetheart, and spent most of the year planning a wedding!

Mani: I graduated medical school, went on a three month backpacking trip in India and Southeast Asia, and then started an internship in surgery at Columbia Presbyterian hospital in New York​.

Jamie:  I had recently begun my career, was preparing for my wedding and was on top of the world.  What an exciting age to be 25, OUR HOUSE, you’re going to have a great birthday!!!!!
Camp Erin Los Angeles June 8-10!
Cabin Buddy Training this Weekend!
This weekend marks the kick off of Camp Erin LA's volunteer training prep session! Thank you to everyone who has applied.
Remember, Camp Erin is FREE for campers and we still have openings for the August session!
Camp Erin Training
OUR HOUSE Happenings
Volunteer Spotlight
Recognizing Chrissy: The Longest-Standing
Camp Erin LA Volunteer! 11 Years!

Q: How did you learn about OUR HOUSE?

A: I learned of OUR HOUSE from a dear friend and former volunteer, Amanda Mahoney who introduced me to the concept of grief support.  Once I completed the training and began co-leading my first group, I was hooked. My love and support for OUR HOUSE only increased with the addition of Camp Erin.

Q: Why do you continue to volunteer at Camp Erin?

A: Providing these children the tools to help them navigate their individual grief journeys gives me such joy. As I witness their positive transformations, I feel such such a sense of accomplishment which is deeply rewarding. Camp Erin enriches the lives of Los Angeles’s children who might not have access to any other grief support. 

Q: In honor of our 25th anniversary, what were you doing when you were 25?

A: I was working at an investment firm in Atlanta, Georgia, while learning the ropes of living in a big city, playing tons of tennis, and volunteering at Egleston Children’s Hospital.  
What People Are Saying About Us
Run for Hope
From a 2018 Run for Hope Participant:

“ May 9 marks 5 years since my dad died suddenly from a heart attack. I didn’t get to say goodbye, and I miss him like crazy every single minute of the day. The only day I feel not so alone is each year I do the OUR HOUSE Run for Hope.

After the run, we went to Lunetta for brunch still dressed in our personalized shirts, and sparked a conversation with a fellow patron. When I shared that we ran for our fathers who died, he didn’t make a sad face or feel sorry for us. Instead, he said how great it was that we did the run together.

After asking for the bill, the waitress came over with tears in her eyes and said that our brunch had been paid for and gave us a note left by the gentleman.

There are GREAT people in this world. Look around you. Love them every day. Thank them for being in your life. And to all the people that you don’t know, get to know them. Hear their story. Be kind. Pay it forward!”    Meera-Michelle
May is Mental Wellness Month
OUR HOUSE Receives Grant from Los Angeles County in Support of Mental Wellness Month
On Tuesday, May 1, OUR HOUSE's Development Associate, Jayne Goldman, accepted a certificate and grant from Los Angeles County's Department of Mental Health in recognition of May's "Mental Wellness Month."
August 3-Day Adult Intensive CEU Training
Join us on August 1-3 from 8:45am-5pm in the San Fernando Valley & earn 14 CEUs
This training provides in-depth education including intervention strategies and hands-on practice for those who wish to specialize in grief counseling or grief therapy with children and/or adults .

Training includes:
  • Grief across the life-span
  • Theoretical models for understanding grief
  • Cultural diversity among Grievers
  • How traumatic death effects the grieving process
  • Age-appropriate language for explaining death, suicide, and funerals to children
  • The healing potential of grief work
  • Self-care and compassion fatigue
Anne Sisteron Boutique Jewelry Event Raises $8,500 for Grief Support Services
Thank you, Anne Sisteron, Jory Goldman, and Marci Foster!
On May 9, Anne Sisteron kindly opened her boutique to OUR HOUSE patrons for a fun day of shopping for a cause and donated 20% of the day's earnings to OUR HOUSE! We would like to give a warm thank you to OUR board members who helped make this a successful event.
Volunteer Opportunities
July 20-22, August 17-19
Four Wednesdays: July 11, 18, 25 & August 1
 Three Wednesdays: July 11, 18, 25
OUR HOUSE Events
Mark Your Calendar!
WEST LOS ANGELES

WOODLAND HILLS

MID-CITY/KOREATOWN

ORANGE COUNTY