Buzzy's Bees news & updates
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As 2022 comes to a close, we at Buzzy’s Bees reflect on the families we have been able to touch with Give Grief a Voice, through our Financial Gifts, and D.U.B.S., our community building group for those who have unexpectedly lost a young child. We are able to accomplish our mission serving these families because of support from you, our community. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude as well as our invitation to spend a bit of time reading about our recent activities. We have families waiting to hear from us in 2023. Your generosity will allow us to say yes to them. Thank you! |
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November 1st marked the start of our End of Year appeal to gather donations. Thankfully, our hive is full of generous donors who have responded to the letters, emails, and our asks on social media. You believe in our programs and have seen the impact they have on bereaved families.
The Martin Family Real Estate #GivingTuesday match challenge was enthusiastically met by our community. Leading up to November 29th we received $4552 from donors which maximized their match of $3000. This was so very exciting!
In total, as of December 15th we have raised over $16k via our End of Year appeal thanks to 39 donors! However, we have quite a gap to fill until we are fully funded for next year. As our programs grow, so do our fundraising needs. We serve more families each year and plan to support 60 families across our three programs in 2023. If you haven’t yet donated, we would appreciate your support.
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Since our last newsletter, Buzzy’s Bees was able to provide three more families financial support. One was to a family in Washington whose 5-year-old child died from a sudden heart attack. The family confided that they planned to use the money to assist with funeral expenses. Another was to an Arizona family whose 8-year-old-child died after being shot in a road rage incident. An Oregon family whose 5-month-old child died of SIDS received financial support to assist with cemetery expenses and bills as well. We mourn with these families and hope that a Buzzy's Bees financial gift can help somewhat ease the burden of such a tragically unexpected loss. If you know of a family who could use some financial support, please let us know through this application.
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Our Committee met this December to review the goals we set in 2022, and we’re declaring the year a success! We said we wanted to build a community for the bereaved families that we serve, and we’re well on that path. We said we needed a Program Administrator and we struck gold adding Emilia to our roster. We said we wanted to educate ourselves to be better stewards for our families, and many of us recently completed the Dougy’s Center “Becoming Grief Informed” training. We’ve arranged for a cluster of family conversations in a single region so that we can meet in person, and we’re already reviewing 2023 applications and scheduling family conversations for 2023.
One of our BIG goals for 2023 is to add at least one former GGaV family to our Committee. If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to kelly@buzzysbees.com.
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Peer Support Group - D.U.B.S. |
Our DUBS program leaders hosted refreshments for The Angel of Hope Service at River View Cemetery on December 11th. This event was held in place of our monthly peer support group meetings. Alex, our program founder shared a reading, from "Notes for the Everlost," by Kate Inglis. Followed by a candlelight ceremony to recognize our children who have passed. Our next DUBS Peer Support Group meeting will be January 8th
If you are interested in joining a support group with other adults who have been impacted by the unexpected death of a child, please reach out to dubs@buzzysbees.com.
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Grief Informed Care Training |
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On October 27th a number of Buzzy’s Bees volunteers participated in a webinar, “Becoming Grief Informed,” through the Dougy Center. It was presented by Monique B. Mitchell, PhD, FT, who is Director of Training and Translational Research at the center. She guided us through why, what, and how to become grief informed.
Buzzy’s founder and president, Amanda Drews, set up the opportunity to participate because Buzzy’s Bees volunteers find themselves more and more in direct contact with families. She stated, “During our Give Grief a Voice sessions we engage in narrative storytelling of the families story of loss, when speaking to families about financial gifts we are often hearing a detailed account of their lives and hardship in relation to child loss, and within DUBS our peer support groups engage in heavy conversations. Being educated is important. Becoming grief informed will help the Buzzy’s team be more sensitive in our actions and more eloquent with our words.”
Several of our Buzzy’s attendees reflected that a highlight from the webinar was when Monique shared “What to Say, and Not Say,” included on this Dougy Center tip sheet. An example: Rather than “I know what you’re going through” try “Grief is so unique for each person. What is it like for you?” In this way you can let someone know we get it without closing the door on their unique experience and connection with the person who died.
Julie Schneider, Buzzy’s board member, shared, “The webinar provided several nuggets that I’ll take with me in the work we do to support bereaved families. The statement about grief being complex, and that people are having a normal response to a complex situation, stood out in particular. The resources that The Dougy Center has built and shares are such a gift. I’m so glad to have participated.”
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Thank you to Joe’s Burgers and Choza Tacos for hosting a dine out fundraiser for us! It was a tasty way to raise a few dollars in support of our programs and a fun opportunity for quite a few members of our hive to get together. |
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Introducing our newest Team Member - Emilia |
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Buzzy’s Bees has had someone working quietly behind the scenes for a few months and we’re pleased to introduce her in this newsletter! With a directed donation from an anonymous family foundation, we were able to bring Emilia on as a part-time Program Admin and Communications Coordinator. We are so lucky to have the donor who partners with us to fund our organizational needs and to have such a talented person join our team! Read a little more about Emilia here.
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Volunteer Spotlight - Kristen Oshyn and Dianna Fontes |
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This quarter we are pleased to celebrate the volunteer contributions of Kristen Oshyn and Dianna Fontes to our Outreach Committee’s Traveling Gallery Tour task force. Kristen contributed greatly to booking the 3 upcoming library venues - check them out in 2023! Dianna helped us shine at the complex tour stop at the Historic Alberta House which also included our Family Reveal Event and a Last Thursday community event. Thank you, Kristen and Dianna!
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Give Grief a Voice Gallery Tour Continues |
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Our RACC sponsored gallery tour continues! Our newsletters readers will know that we’re exhibiting high quality renderings of art pieces gifted to past Give Grief a Voice families throughout Oregon.
We’ve wrapped up our Alberta House tour in Portland, and now we’re prepping for our third stop at the Wilsonville Public Library. This exhibit will run from February 1st to February 28th, 2023. We have two more library stops scheduled for 2023 so far. We’ll be exhibiting our pieces at West Linn Library from March 1st to March 31st, 2023, and we have another library exhibit on the docket at Brookwood Library from June 1st to July 31th. Stay tuned for more info about panel discussions on our social media channels.
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Tune in - Amanda's Third Podcast Appearance! |
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Resources
Connecting our community to additional grief and loss resources to help navigate this rugged terrain. We have recently found the following to share.
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When someone experiences a sudden loss, oftentimes it is difficult for friends and family to know what to say, or how to best support someone’s grief. Eluna, a wonderful organization that supports children and families impacted by addiction, created these Sudden Grief postcards, which contain simple but important tips on what to do (and what not to do) to help support someone in mourning. Buzzy’s mission is to change grief culture around unexpected loss, and resources like these are great places to begin.
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In this article from The Guardian, comedian Rob Delaney talks candidly about his grief surrounding the death of his son, Henry, and how it influenced his most recent memoir, “A Heart that Works.” Delaney’s experience with grief is a moving and important reminder of the varied ways grief can manifest itself throughout one’s life, and that it is okay to let those expressions of grief out even as life continues on.
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When a child unexpectedly dies, bereaved parents with other children may struggle to find ways to support their children in their grief, while also going through their own. “Forever Connected,” a children’s book by Jessica Correnti, provides a way for parents to create dialogue between themselves and their children surrounding their grief. Children who are grieving may lack the words to express their feelings, and this book provides a gentle way for parents to open those conversations.
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Thoughts from our Blog
In case you missed it, here is recent post from our blog.
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In November 2020, President Lincoln’s Cottage opened its “Reflections on Grief and Loss” exhibit. The exhibit is largely in honor of Mary Lincoln, who lost two of her children, and is theorized to have suffered what we now know as Prolonged Grief Disorder as a result. This exhibit serves as a testament to the growing understanding and acceptance of grief and its effects in our society. At Buzzy’s Bees, our goal is to honor those who are grieving the unexpected loss of a young child, to hear them, and to provide resources. We are grateful to Lincoln Cottage for providing this exhibit to widen public understanding of grief, and to honor a woman whose grief long went unacknowledged. Read more about the exhibit on our blog here.
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Additional Ways to Support Buzzy's Bees |
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Volunteer Opportunities - Giving your time and talents |
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If you are looking to get involved with Buzzy's Bees, we are always happy to match your interests, available time, and specific talents with one of our standing committees. Please get in touch! Sometimes folx are looking for a defined role, in which case, here are a couple of opportunities to consider:
Golf Event Planning Committee Member - contact Nate Drews
Our 7th annual mini and par-3 golf event will be held on April 29, 2023 and we start meeting in late January, mostly by phone/web conferencing. We keep things light, fun, and organized. Help us develop the event theme, reach out to potential hole sponsors, determine event prizes, lunch menu, swag bags, and other special touches to make the day a success. We’d love to add you to our team!
Our Family Reveal Event is the cornerstone of our program, where families finally see their art piece for the first time and can meet other families from the program. A lot of work goes into putting these events together. We at Buzzy’s will provide the budget and guidance for the event, but the task force will ultimately decide how to make this event special and memorable. Much of the work can be done virtually, so families from any location are welcome to join in.
Our communications committee could use another person or two with a passion for telling our story. We meet once a month virtually, and in the interim we could especially use your help to pass along language and updates to our GoogleAds contractor. Join us!
Have you noticed that our emails are .com even though we are a .org website? Do you have the IT talent to help us transition our email addresses to the new domain? We could use your help!
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Giving Partners
Thank you for your ongoing support through matching and other programs. Check these options:
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AmazonSmile - We can receive proceeds as you shop through Amazon. Set up Buzzy’s Bees as your charity of choice at smile.amazon.com
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Benevity – A matching program through your employer (ie Google, Microsoft, Nike, etc)
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BottleDrop - We are a registered non-profit with Oregon's BottleDrop and can receive proceeds from your donated cans and bottles! If you want to participate or have any further questions please reach out to Alex at dubs@buzzysbees.com.
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Fred Meyer Community Rewards - In addition to receiving personal rewards you can link your customer card to Buzzy’s Bees at Fred Meyer Community Rewards
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Thrivent Choice Dollars - If you have an insurance or annuity contract with Thrivent you may have Choice Dollars to designate. Check it out at thrivent.com under the My Thrivent heading.
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Donate Your Miles - We are set up to receive hotel points or airline miles from you as a donation. Reach out to Emilia at emmy@buzzysbees.com.
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Grief does not discriminate. Buzzy’s Bees strives to support a broad and diverse community of grieving families. |
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BUZZY'S BEES | buzzysbees.org | hello@buzzysbees.com |
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