On September 15th our board was in Seattle to join his family and friends for Jackson’s Flower Walk . We first learned about this family through our mutual connection to the SUDC Foundation - Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. Bryan and Natalia’s loss of their young son, Jackson, shared some very similar notes with our Hudson so we reached out and asked to participate in support. At the walk we met another local family, April and Kevin who lost their young son, Lincoln, just a few months earlier. The conversation and connection that began here with both of these families were seeds to a new idea.

In October we were able to provide a grant for the family of 2 ½ year old Kylie who died in a tractor accident in the Portland area in September. Her parents and older brother mourn her loss, as well as extended family and friends. In speaking with her mom we observed that, like with Jackson and Lincoln’s families, it is so important to listen to their story and to be assured that their little one will be remembered always.

This has inspired us to launch a special project in 2109, Give Grief a Voice . We’ll be engaging local writers and artists in Portland and Seattle to capture their story and create a unique image as a gift to each family we support. Our plan is to host a gallery exhibit at Oregon Public House on the day that we are the Charity of the Day, in the fall of 2019. Look for information about the date and time of this special event in future communications.

Your overwhelming response to #GIVINGTUESDAY warms our hearts. You contributed over $5,000 on that day alone! This will be used exclusively for the Give Grief a Voice project. Our coffee winners, who received a pound of coffee from Rose City Coffee Company or Starship Coffee , were Rebecca Hronec , Susan Bender Phelps , and Charity Pate . Congratulations! And all our supporters are winners in our eyes. Thank you!

Finally, thank you, too, for your ongoing support through matching and other programs. Check these options: