February Newsletter

Year in Review

The year 2020 was an unprecedented year for so many reasons and for Carson’s Village, it was no different. Some of our highlights include:

At the end of 2020, Carson’s Village had served 638 families in 39 states, including 350 in 2020, an increase of 70% from 2019. December 2020 saw the highest number of monthly referrals ever with 55.
Carson’s Village pivoted to support families impacted by COVID-19, providing creative ways to honor loved ones during restricted events and was listed by New York City as a COVID resource during the pandemic.
Carson’s Village was a top five finalist in United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Social Innovation Accelerator, earning $40,000 in prize money and significant public recognition.

Carson’s Village is ready for another transformational year in 2021. While we will continue to serve families referred to us by first responders and others, we have an expanded relationship with Baylor Scott & White’s Spiritual Care team, serving as an extension of their services when families need additional support. In addition, Carson’s Village will launch its Bereavement Services Employee Benefit to companies in 2021, a paid service to provide bereavement support in the workplace. With expert advisory committees in place to guide us on technology and grief support, Carson’s Village’s infrastructure and reach will continue to expand this coming year. We look forward to sharing our successes with you as we continue to strive for an easier, more economical, and more compassionate bereavement process for families across the country.

Your Impact

Every family served by Carson’s Village has a story to tell and Carson’s Village is honored to be a part of their bereavement process. For the Macias family, Carson’s Village was critical at a tragic moment of their lives. Abril Macias reached out to Carson’s Village looking for support as her one-month old baby, Emma, was being taken off life support. The family requested referrals and resources for a cremation. Carson’s Village provided funeral home options and coordinated with The Rhett Sullivan Foundation for funding designated toward helping families that lose newborn children. The family is currently enrolled in continuing support services so that Carson’s Village can provide resources along their grief journey.

Welcome to the Carson’s Village Team!

As Carson’s Village grows, so does our team! We are thrilled to welcome the following part-time staff to Carson’s Village:

Tamy Adams joined us from Pennsylvania this fall. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Tamy has been a long-time volunteer for numerous charitable organizations and schools and has worked for an international philanthropist. Tamy is the mother of five children and an avid fitness enthusiast. Tamy reached out this fall after seeing the impact of Carson’s Village on Facebook and we immediately realized that her background and passion would be an asset to our team. Tamy is working on special projects, starting with our training and process documentation work.

Eli Mandel joined us part-time in January from Baylor Scott & White where he is a Program Manager – Wellness. Eli is a licensed clinical social worker with a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Eli has a background in social work, therapy and wellness. Eli is working with Carson’s Village to design the Bereavement Services Employee Benefit and grief support program.

Advisory Committees Launch

We are grateful for the leadership of two community volunteers who bring their expertise and network to our organization:

David Evans returns to Carson’s Village after serving as our mentor during Carson’s Village time in the Social Innovation Accelerator at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. David is a serial entrepreneur and tech leader who brings his technology background and start-up mentality to chair a Technology Advisory Committee that will guide Carson’s Village as it continues to scale its technology infrastructure.

Tom Cox from Baylor Scott & White is lending his support to Carson’s Village to lead our Grief Support Advisory Committee. Tom is a clinical psychologist, serves on the Executive Directors Committee for Wellness and Faculty Development for Baylor Scott & White and is a professor in psychology at SMU and Texas A&M Medical School. Tom is bringing his background and his network together to help Carson’s Village build out its grief support continuous care plan.

How To Help Someone Who’s Grieving

It can be difficult to provide authentic and compassionate support to those who are grieving. This article provides a set of tips to consider as you reach out to those who need your support

Spring is in the Air

You can support Carson’s Village when you shop with Firefly Farm & Mercantile! Firefly Farm & Mercantile stocks hundreds of varieties of gardening bulbs, heirloom flower seeds, organic vegetable seeds, and more. Simply use Carson’s Village in the discount code to get 5% off your order and for Carson’s Village to receive a portion from your gardening purchase.

Andre Paquette, the owner of Firefly Farm & Mercantile, has a generous spirit to serve and help. Tragedy struck his family when he was 12 and he knows how meaningful support can be for families dealing with the loss of loved ones. We particularly like the green flowers (Carson’s favorite color) but take a look – there are lots of options to get you ready for spring!

Save the Date

The 2021 Carson’s Village Golf Tournament will be here before you know it! Block your calendar on September 17, 2021 and join us at Bear Creek Golf Club for a great day of golf to raise money for Carson’s Village! The registration page has launched, and we look forward to seeing everyone next fall!

Easy Way to Support Carson’s Village through PayPal

Use PayPal? Make sure you’ve made Carson’s Village your favorite charity so that we can receive revenue when you use PayPal. Just click here to set it up.

February 2021 Newsletter