HOPE for Bereaved understands that when someone close to you dies, it changes your life. Those suffering from grief need the support of others who share that experience.
HOPE For Bereaved is dedicated to helping grieving children, teens and adults by providing core services (support groups, monthly newsletter and counseling) at no charge. Founded in 1978, HOPE is an independent nonprofit community organization. Our purpose is to offer support, understanding, coping strategies, friendship and hope to the bereaved, as well as education, consultation and resources for their families, friends, employers, school/daycare staff, co-workers and invested professionals. The help given by HOPE can add greatly to the physical and mental well-being of the bereaved and therefore to their place of employment and to the community.
We provide our core services free of charge to anyone experiencing the death of someone close to them. The journey from grief to hope can begin with any of our counseling services provided in groups or one-on-one.
HOPE for Bereaved currently offers 12 monthly support groups with each addressing a different type of experience. Some groups include widows and widowers, children, parents, survivors of a loved one who died by suicide. HOPE for Bereaved group sessions attempt to ensure no grief goes unresolved.
We staff a Help Line (315-475-HOPE), publish a monthly newsletter and present community education programs to stay closely connected with those in need – always free of charge. Families, friends, businesses and health care professionals turn to HOPE for Bereaved for training, guidance and resources. Our services and resources are used locally, nationally and internationally.
HOPE for Bereaved is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. We do not receive any annual public funding outside of monetary gifts, fundraisers and fees from books or workshops.
Therese Schoeneck founded HOPE for Bereaved in 1978 after the death of her daughter, Mary, in a car accident. At the time, Central New York did not have a support group available for parents dealing with the death of a child.
Determined that something positive would come from Mary’s death, she formed a bereaved parents support group that eventually became HOPE for Bereaved. Each year, HOPE touches the lives of people of all ages in our community and beyond.