Avow is pleased to announce it is the recipient of a $105,000 grant from the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, to fund grief and loss support services for children. Avow is one of 60 local nonprofit organizations to be recognized by NCEF, which allocated a record breaking $25.5 million to nonprofits that support underprivileged and at-risk children in Collier County. The grant awarded to Avow will provide funding for two grief counselors and a music therapist in the Avow Kids program, which offers support and companionship to children ages 5-17 who are experiencing grief or loss in any capacity, and at no cost for care.
“Avow Kids greatly appreciates our partnership with NCEF. With this grant, we are able to provide grief support to the children of Collier County and partner with other area non-profits to give children unique therapeutic experiences,” says Lea Pascotto, manager of Supportive Care at Avow.
The Avow Kids program assists children in learning and implementing effective coping skills while encouraging them to express their emotions through art, music, movement, and group discussion. Specialized child bereavement counselors are available for individual or group sessions, both in-person and online, to help children understand the complex emotions that stem from experiencing grief or loss. Grief or loss can come from any number of life events, including but not limited to the death of a loved one, military deployment, divorce, instability in the foster care system, and more. Avow Kids regularly holds events on and off Avow campus, such as movie nights, holiday parties, and summer camp activities, to build a sense of community and ensure that no child feels alone in their grief.
About Avow:
Avow was founded in 1983 as Collier County’s original, nonprofit hospice. Today, Avow’s nonprofit companies provide palliative care consultations for adults facing chronic or serious illness, hospice care, and bereavement support services for children and adults. To learn more about the scope of services provided by Avow, call (239) 261-4404 or visit www.avowcares.org.
About Naples Children & Education Foundation:
The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted 60 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing over 300,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time.
