June/July 2018 Newsletter
Save the Date and Celebrate 25 Years at the
House of Hope Gala!
Join Us on Saturday October 6 at Sony Picture Studios
Pre-Sale Sponsorship Opportunities are available NOW! Contact our Development Director Jessica at jessicak@ourhouse-grief.org . Individual tickets will be available the week of August 20th.

Share your stories of how OUR HOUSE has impacted your life and be a part of "The Great Stories of OUR HOUSE"! Stories can be seen on our 25th Anniversary webpage .

Camp Erin LA Highlights from OUR June Session!
New 2018 Activity: Trauma Informed Yoga
Back by popular demand: the Plate Smashing Activity! Campers write feelings they want to get rid of on their plate and then smash it against the wall (with protective gear on, of course!)

New this year: Trauma Informed Yoga. Led by certified instructors, campers learn coping methods for when they feel overwhelmed by feelings of grief. Both activities are fun ways for kids to work through their grief.
Upcoming Camp Sessions:
Camp Erin OC: July 20-22
Camp Erin LA: August 17-19
Camp Erin LA Featured
Online in
Nonprofit Hosts Free Camp for Kids Who Lost a Parent

Losing a parent, sibling or guardian is always difficult, but for young children, it can be especially traumatic. That's why Los Angeles-based Our House Grief Support Center and nonprofit The Moyer Foundation, which was founded by MLB pitcher...

Read more
parade.com
Extending OUR Reach Through Education
"Train-the-Trainer" Grief Education
In May, OUR HOUSE provided an 8-hour training at The People Concern one of LA County’s largest social services agencies focusing on homelessness and domestic violence. They noticed signs of grief in their workplace after experiencing the death of numerous clients. OUR Clinical Team taught their leaders how to acknowledge and process their own grief reactions, and how to provide a safe space for their employees and clients. Our training to the 20 people in the room will actually go much further... to the 400 employees and 5,000 clients they work with annually. This is just one example of how we extend our reach through a "train-the-trainer" model and work toward our vision of creating a world in which grief is embraced, understood, and respected.
3-Day Grief Specialist Training
Join us August 1-3 from 8:45am-5pm in the San Fernando Valley & Earn 21 CE/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
OUR HOUSE Happenings
OUR Team is Growing!
Sylvia Moskovitz,
Chief Development Officer
Prior to coming to OUR HOUSE, Sylvia served as the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization. Her successful career in the non-profit world also included positions at USC’s Shoah Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Vista Del Mar, the Jewish Federations of Greater Los Angeles and Greater Dallas and other community organizations, religious institutions and international agencies. Sylvia credits her success in part to her multi-disciplinary education, a BA from the University of Southern California in Social Welfare with an emphasis on Community Organization and her Juris Doctor degree from Whittier College, School of Law where she was the Research Editor of the Law Review. She is an avid hiker, a voracious reader, and a prolific knitter. She is dedicated to our grief support mission and the idea of children, teens and adults helping one another to heal after the loss of a loved one.
Volunteer Spotlight
Recognizing Juan: The Longest-Standing Spanish Volunteer Support Group Leader! 
Q: How did you learn about OUR HOUSE?
A: Through Dr. Pamelyn Close, MD, one of the former Medical Attending providers at the LAC+USC Medical Center where I work as a Palliative Care Social Worker. Dr. Close and I were fortunate to meet Loren Delgado, the Senior Clinical Coordinator of Spanish Satellite Programs at OUR HOUSE. I completed the grief group leader training and worked in partnering to have Spanish-language grief support groups located in our wellness center.

Q: Why do you continue to volunteer as a group leader?
A: I witness many occasions where families grieve the loss of their loved ones in our hospital setting. I have a passion to continue to provide the grief support these families need when in crisis. Continuing to provide the utmost support to vulnerable populations helps me follow my passion as a grief group leader.

Q: In honor of our 25th anniversary, what were you doing when you were 25?
A:   I was working full time for a government funded program in a case management service while completing my higher education degree in Social Work and living in LA. 
What People Are Saying About Us
From a Camp Erin Volunteer:

"Camp Erin was a beautiful experience filled with support, security and compassion.
As a camp counselor I was able to witness the transformation that the campers experience those arriving with confusion and mixed emotions to leaving feeling connected and better understood. Counselors and campers alike reinforced each other's emotions by offering a safe space to be real. Camp Erin allowed the campers to heal in a wonderful and positive way. There was plenty of empathy, recognition (and celebration) of the camper's special person and sunshine that allowed for such a wonderful and peaceful weekend."
Volunteer Opportunities
Find the Position that is Right for You!
Are you looking for a rewarding and fulfilling way to put your skills and compassion to use by volunteering? Take our NEW Volunteer Quiz and check out our Volunteer Toolkit: your one-stop shop for everything you'll need for successful volunteering!
OC- July 20-22, LA- August 17-19
Four Wednesdays: July 11, 18, 25 & August 1
 Three Wednesdays: July 11, 18, 25
Three Saturdays & One Wednesday: September 8, 15, 22 & 26 
Three Saturdays: September 8, 15 & 22
Widow and Widower Alumni Social Group
Coffee, Bagels, and Conversation
An informal alumni social group gathered two weeks ago for the first time to continue to help grievers gain support and build their community, now that their support groups have ended. This group of mid-life widow and widower alumni met for coffee, bagels, and conversations. To get involved or learn more, email jessicak@ourhouse-grief.org.
OUR HOUSE Events
Mark Your Calendar!
WEST LOS ANGELES

WOODLAND HILLS

MID-CITY/KOREATOWN

ORANGE COUNTY