Organization Partners with Local School District in Response to Recent Traumatic Losses
Lowellville, Ohio (January 5, 2023) - Cornerstone of Hope recently provided several grief seminars for the Lowellville, Ohio School District and the community on January 2nd and 4th, respectively. Local TV stations covered the seminars and interviewed Julia Ellifritt, Education Director about the grieving process.
On Monday, January 2nd, Cornerstone provided several hours of education and support to the faculty and staff of Lowellville School District. Cornerstone Staff then returned on Wednesday, January 4th to present to the community on grief, trauma, and self-care. Julia also answered community questions and helped individuals to process their grief.
Cornerstone of Hope provided this support in response to several tragedies that the Lowellville community experienced in the past year. In May 2022, a 13-year-old student died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooting took place in the K-12 school cafeteria during lunch. More recently in December 2022, a mother and daughter were killed in a domestic violence incident on Watson Street in Lowellville.
Follow-up trainings and seminars are being planned as needed with Lowellville School District.
If your school or community has been impacted by loss and are in need of grief support and education, Cornerstone of Hope can help. Learn more by clicking the link below.
While there is an invitation to begin again at any time, the start of a new year can be a unique opportunity to strive towards something new or set a new goal for ourselves. During a season of intense grief and pain, however, this concept can seem impossible.
Arguably one of the most beautiful, poetic descriptions of what we can hope for, both for ourselves and our loved ones who have died, is the verse from 1 Corinthians: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what things God has prepared for those that love Him.”
Funds Raised Will Provide Affordable Services for Grieving Children, Teens and Adults
Nonprofit bereavement center Cornerstone of Hope recently hosted its annual tasting event,Taste of Hope, on Thursday, September 8, 2022. The event was held on the grounds of Cornerstone of Hope, located at 5905 Brecksville Road, Independence, Ohio 44131. The event raises funds annually for Cornerstone of Hope’s Financial Assistance Program, which provides affordable services for grieving children, teens and adults in need. This year, Taste of Hope raised nearly $135,000 — exceeding last year’s total by more than 25 percent. The exponential increase will allow Cornerstone of Hope to respond to the record high demand seen in 2022 and anticipated in 2023 for grief counseling, support groups and children’s bereavement camps.
450 guests enjoyed a casual evening of spectacular food and drink samplings from over two dozen area restaurants, plus entertainment and raffles. Several Ohio government officials were in attendance including the Mayor of Independence, Gregory P. Kurtz and State Representative Thomas F. Patton.
A highlight of the evening was the speech given by Taste of Hope’s “Toast of the Night” honoree, Kelsey Loushin, President of Eldercare Professionals of Ohio, LLC. Kelsey gave a moving testimony describing how she has gone full circle from advocate, to client, to support group facilitator for Cornerstone of Hope’s Overdose Loss support groups. She stated:
“… If you’ve experienced a loss … this is the place that can help…. They’ve helped me, I see the changes in people as they go through groups … I watch them understand that in spite of their loss, they can live with it, survive it, and thrive ultimately.…”
Cornerstone of Hope is a nonprofit comprehensive bereavement support center that has served Northeast Ohio communities for almost 20 years. Cornerstone of Hope is dedicated to providing counseling, support, and education to grieving children, teens and adults. Therapy and Christian counseling services, support groups, children’s grief camps, and professional trainings are conducted by Master’s level, licensed clinicians who have extensive experience working with grief and trauma. All of Cornerstone’s support services are offered at an affordable cost. For more information and contact details for each office location, visit cornerstoneofhope.org.
In the weeks and months that followed 9/11, we shared with our church family, our friends, and colleagues the news of Becky’s tragic passing. Our church family kept saying how “strong” we were during this trial. We didn’t feel strong at all; I give God all the glory for any strength others observed in us. He was truly our rock and our fortress through this dark time in our lives.
A loved one dies, and so many blocks come crashing down. Plans crash. Dreams crash. A future comes to an end. The pain of our losses is shattering; our broken hearts don’t quite know how to mend. On our walk of faith, our spiritual journey, it’s precisely amidst the shambles that God can work most powerfully.
Cleveland Grief Center’s Signature Fundraising Event Sets Stage for Further Expansion of Services
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (June 23, 2022) – Cornerstone of Hope (COH) hosted its 19th Annual Gala on June 11, 2022. 600 guests were treated to a captivating evening on the beautiful grounds of Cornerstone of Hope for an enchanting outdoor dining experience with unforgettable ambiance, dinner and drinks under the stars. The Gala is the grief center’s signature fundraising event, providing financial breath to the organization and generating a significant source of operating revenue for Cornerstone of Hope to continue providing the critical support needed for those grieving the loss of a loved one.
Each year, the Gala offers attendees a live and silent auction, raffles and Open Your Heart donations, to help raise additional funds for the organization. Last year the Gala raised $720,000. This year, the Gala raised a record amount, netting $750,000. Funds from this year’s Gala will allow COH to hire more clinicians and expand grief support services within Ohio and beyond in 2023.
Highlights from this year’s Gala included Country Line Dancing by Nick Morris and a moving and powerful testimony from speaker and former client, Kodi Pride. Kodi’s daughter, Lorelle Faith, passed away at the age of 6½ years old due to complications from a rare condition, Trisomy 13.
“…When I read the story of Mark & Christi (Tripodi) and why Cornerstone was founded, I knew it was the place for us to get counseling. When I saw “Never Grieve Alone” on their website, I knew I wanted to be part of that world,” Kodi shared.
Additionally, every year Cornerstone of Hope honors a different Champion of Hope who has given above and beyond to the organization. This year, COH honored Maria & Angelo Petitti (Petitti Garden Centers) as the 2022 Champion of Hope. Former Champions of Hope were invited to attend a special induction ceremony early in the evening’s festivities.
“The Petitti family was instrumental in the site development of Cornerstone of Hope when we moved into our new center in 2008, providing truckloads and I do mean truckloads of trees, boxwoods, evergreen plants, flowers and ornamental grasses. Their support and generosity has continued to evolve as our ministry has grown. Maria and Angelo Petitti have enormous, compassionate hearts for those who suffer loss. Their authentic care for those who grieve is so natural because they treat everyone like family. They have never forgotten their Italian roots and through their own grief journeys truly understand and empathize with those who seek help at Cornerstone of Hope,” explains Mark Tripodi, CEO and Founder.
Cornerstone of Hope is a nonprofit comprehensive bereavement support center that has served Northeast Ohio communities for the past 19 years. Cornerstone of Hope is dedicated to providing counseling, support, and education to grieving children, teens and adults. Therapy and Christian counseling services, support groups, children’s grief camps, and professional trainings are conducted by Master’s level, licensed clinicians who have extensive experience working with grief and trauma. All of Cornerstone’s support services are offered at an affordable cost. For more information and contact details for each office location, visit cornerstoneofhope.org.
I have thought of this memory often since his passing; the image of my dying father on his knees will stay with me forever, teaching me a profound lesson each time the memory comes.
