Annie's Hope ~ Providing support for children, teens and families who are grieving

Support Groups for Families

Teen Retreat

Camp Courage

Family Social Events

School Support and Education

Hope & Healing Gathering

Horizons

Community Resource Library

Speakers Institute

Grief Community Referral Service

Program Calendar

Horizons

What is Horizons?
Horizons is the support program designed for any family who has an impending death in the near future and has children or teens between the ages of 3-18 who will survive the loss.

What is the goal of Horizons?
The goal of Horizons is to help the family to discover peace, hope, and healing in a manner that is unique & personal.

How does Horizons support a family?
Horizons exists to support individual families by providing an outlet for the emotional, psychological, intellectual, social and spiritual pain, by assisting them to preserve memories & build memories, by fostering the search for inner peace, by exploring new, effective, healthy ways of coping, & by discovering hope in the future.

How does Horizons expect to meet the goal?
Specifically, Horizons aims to reach the goals established by:

Providing a caring, compassionate person who is trained in the grieving process to build a trusting, lasting relationship with the members of the family.
Providing a supportive environment where the family can let down their protective shields & release the pain of grief.
Offering and encouraging the preservation of memories e.g., picture albums, video & audiotapes, preservation of special clothes, identifying and gathering of meaningful momentos, identifying memory triggers, etc.)
Exploring wishes, interests and hobbies of the dying individual in order to plan & implement meaningful experiences that will create lasting memories for the family eg., visit Clydesdale Horse Farm; meet and attend a performance of an entertainer of interest (Celine Dion, David Copperfield, etc.); & explore a new place or event never before experienced (city museum, St. Louis Symphony, Muny Theatre, etc.).
Helping each family to recognize unhealthy coping methods, through supporting the family’s unique coping styles & through exploring new ways of coping. Examples include claywork, journaling, music, poetry, physical release, storytelling, puppetry, imaginative play, adaptive games, gardening, woodworking, etc.
Fostering each family member’s spiritual journey towards hope, healing and inner peace.
Maintaining or establishing open communication between family members that will assist them in their grief journey.

Where does Horizons meet?
Horizons takes place in a location most safe, comfortable and convenient for the family. It may be in the family home, hospital, nursing home or hospice setting.

What is the cost of utilizing Horizons services?
There is no cost to the families served. If a family is able to make a financial contribution, we encourage them to do so. All donations are greatly appreciated. Horizons is partially funded through the generosity of The Bernard Goldstein Family Fund.

How can my family get involved in Horizons?
You can request services or volunteer time through contacting Annie’s Hope office at 314-965-5015.

For further information please contact us.

Won't you let me know that life is eternal and love immortal and death is only a horizon...And a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.