Through Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, Boeing employees are helping teens ease the pain of transition after a violent crime has distorted their lives.
Families and Friends was the recipient of a grant of $56,660.00 from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound. These funds will allow Families and Friends to offer free support to teens through advocacy, support groups, and resource referrals.
There is a significant service gap in Snohomish County. This program will offer grief counseling to children and teens who have been witnesses to violence or have siblings, parents, or friends who have been impacted by violence such as assault, homicide, or robbery. While we recognize that any teen from any aspect of life needs support, this program will target low-income families that are already dealing with a great many stresses in their lives and have limited access to help.
Families and Friends Group Support for Grieving Children/Teens will be available to those needing professional guidance, peer support, and a safe place to reconstruct their lives following violent trauma. Initially, these support groups will be offered specifically to teens. As the program is developed and implemented, we will consider the future need for a support group for younger children.
Our Group Support for Grieving Children and Teens will provide children/teens with a structured grief support group that recognizes their unique needs. This can be an isolating experience for anyone, of any age. This is especially the case for young people. Through group sessions and one-on-one crisis counseling when needed, Families and Friends will provide: opportunities to express feelings without the fear of being misunderstood; unconditional support; an understanding of ways to grieve that are not self-destructive; and a means of decreasing isolation. It is our intent to help our youth through the grieving process in a safe, age appropriate setting. We will help each teen rebuild his/her life by focusing on personal strengths rather than turning to such things as alcohol or drug abuse to mask the pain.
This program is not meant to be a substitute for family and parental support, but it can serve to help parents and family members understand the unique needs of a grieving teenager.
Families and Friends provide services to those in need free of charge.
If you would like to help victims of crimes and their families or would like more information, e-mail or call Tracy at 425-252-6081 or tracy@fnfvcv.org or visit our Donations page to donate online. |
Sincerely,
Tracy Radford,
Public Relations Director
Families & Friends of Victims of Violent Crimes