Holding on to HOPE
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FAQHolding on to HOPE
Printing and Photographing HOPE
Sharing Photos of HOPE?
Sending HOPE on to Others
Grief Contact Information Holding on to HOPEQ: What is Holding on to HOPE?A: Holding on to HOPE is a project of Children's Grief Awareness Day, which aims to bring attention to the needs of grieving children and the support that can be so helpful to children in the midst of grief. A limited number of "HOPE the Butterfly" quilt squares are traveling from person to person, family to family, and community to community across the United States and around the globe, as each person, family or community shares HOPE with someone else. For those who don't get the quilt squares, there is an electronic version of "HOPE the Butterfly", which can be printed and used in the same way. HOPE can be shared in more ways than one. In addition to passing HOPE on through the mail or electronically, a picture of you and HOPE can also be shared with many more people around the world. Simply upload your photo to the Children's Grief Awareness Day Facebook page for all to see (see "Printing and Photographing HOPE" for more information on how to do this). With so many sharing HOPE, grieving children will be able to see clearly that they are not alone and forgotten—that others do care about what they are going through. Q: Why do grieving children need something like Holding on to HOPE?A: When someone close dies, it can feel like your heart is going to go on hurting forever. But what many children have shared is that even though we don't stop missing the person who has died—even though their absence is a constant presence in our lives—it won't always hurt so much. In the midst of grief, many children—and adults—are afraid that the way they feel now is the way they'll feel the rest of their lives. Some people try to help by telling us to "get over it," or to "stop dwelling on" the person who died. But it's not that easy. There isn't any magic switch that we can flip to get us over it. Beyond that, many people don't want to simply forget about the person who remains such an important part of who they are. But even while remembering them, it won't always hurt so much. Children who have experienced the death of a loved one can hold on to the HOPE—based on the experiences of many other children who have gone through the same thing—that it won't always hurt so much. That is what Holding on to HOPE is all about. Q: What is Children's Grief Awareness Day?A: Children have often been called "forgotten mourners," because their pain remains largely invisible to those around them. Children's Grief Awareness Day—the Thursday before Thanksgiving (in the US) every year—seeks to bring attention to the impact of death on these children. It's an opportunity to let them know they aren't forgotten in their grief. See the Children's Grief Awareness Day page for ideas on how to participate on that day, or visit the Children's Grief Awareness Day Facebook page to join in the conversation year round. Q: What do I do when I receive the quilt square?A: The goal of HOPE is to show grieving children and teens that there are people everywhere who care about them. To do this, first take a photo of you (and possibly others) holding on to HOPE—and it would be great if there was something unique about your location in the photo (see "I want to take a picture of HOPE, but what should be in the photograph?" for more suggestions). Then share your photo by following the instructions in "Sharing Photos of HOPE." The second step is to send HOPE to someone who needs HOPE. Details of who you can send HOPE to and how to do this can be found in "Sending HOPE on to Others." You can also visit the Children's Grief Awareness Day Facebook page or follow Children's Grief Awareness Day on twitter to follow HOPE's journey. Q: I would like to "Hold on to HOPE" in memory or honor of a special person. Can I do this?A: Absolutely! What a wonderful way to honor someone special to you. You can do this in several ways:
Q: I'd like to "Hold on to HOPE" in my community. Can I request that the quilt square be sent to me?A: We really appreciate your enthusiasm and wish to become involved in this initiative to support grieving children. Because there are only a very limited number of quilted "Holding on to HOPE" squares and they are already traveling from person to person out of our hands, we are unable to send them out upon request. However, for those who don't get the quilt squares, there is an electronic version of "HOPE the Butterfly" that can be printed and used in the same way. You and your community can get involved by using this paper version of HOPE. Q: What if someone sent HOPE to me, but I'm not interested in participating?A: If you have the quilted version of HOPE, you can either:
If you have a paper version of HOPE, you can:
Regardless of your choice, we suggest you contact the person who sent HOPE to you and let them know that you aren't interested in participating. Q: Who do I contact if I misplace or lose the quilt square?A: Please let us know by sending us an email at contactus@highmarkcaringplace.com. Printing and Photographing HOPEQ: How do I get a paper copy of the HOPE Butterfly?A: To get a paper version of HOPE, download the PDF version. Then all you have to do is print it out, and you'll have HOPE the Butterfly! Q: I want to take a picture of HOPE, but what should be in the photograph?A: There aren't any requirements for the photograph, but here are some suggestions: First, it will mean a lot more to the children who look at the photos to see you with HOPE the Butterfly (and not just the square itself). No matter how beautiful the background, people mean more than landscapes. Second, because wearing blue is one of the ways people support Children's Grief Awareness Day, any blue will tie your shot more closely to that day if you have some in the photo. On the other hand, if you don't have blue, don't let that stop you from taking or uploading a picture. Third, it doesn't matter how many people are in the photo with HOPE the Butterfly. It can be one individual with HOPE or it can be hundreds (of course, the butterfly will be hard to see in that case, but that's all right—just knowing that that many people are showing their support will still bring HOPE to a grieving child). Fourth, if there is a place near you that is well-known or famous (even if it is only famous locally), feel free to have your picture taken with HOPE in that place. It will be fun for people to recognize some of the places that HOPE shows up in. Fifth, even if you can't do any of these things, many grieving kids across the country—and across the world—would still love to see your photo. So share the HOPE you have in any way you can. Sharing Photos of HOPEQ: How can I share my photos of HOPE? How do I upload pictures to the Flickr/Facebook pages?A: All the photos will be shared through the Flickr and Facebook social media sites. You can share your HOPE photos by emailing them to the Children's Grief Awareness Day Flickr page using well43want@photos.flickr.com. Once the photos are received on the Flickr page, they will be automatically copied on to the Flickr tab of the Children's Grief Awareness Day Facebook page. At that point, they can be viewed on both the Flickr and Facebook pages dedicated to Children's Grief Awareness Day. Follow either of these links to see the pictures: Q: I don't have a Flickr or Facebook account. Can I still participate?A: Sure you can. To submit a picture, all you have to do is email it to well43want@photos.flickr.com. You don't need an account. You can also look at the pictures without having either a Facebook or Flickr account by visiting http://on.fb.me/jennAv or http://www.flickr.com/photos/caring_place/. Q: How can I see other people's photos of HOPE?A: To see all the photos of HOPE that have been sent, visit http://on.fb.me/jennAv or http://www.flickr.com/photos/caring_place/. Q: How can I see where HOPE has been across the US and the world?A: Our Flickr page has a map showing where all the submitted photos have come from. Check it out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/caring_place/map/. Q: How can I connect with others who have shared HOPE?A: Join in the conversation on the Children's Grief Awareness Day Facebook page. Share stories, hear from others and learn about HOPE and grieving children. Q: What are you going to do with all the photos? How long does my picture stay up, and what do you do with all of the photos after November 17, 2011?A: All of the submitted photos will stay on the Flickr and Facebook pages. A few of these pictures will be featured on our Facebook profile picture to highlight the progress of HOPE around the world. Sometime after Children's Grief Awareness Day 2011, the photos will be moved to a 2011 ‘set' on Flickr to make room for the 2012 pictures, but the 2011 pictures will remain until we run out of room in the distant future. The only exception is that we do reserve the right to remove any photos deemed inappropriate for the work we do from any of our pages. Q: How else can I help spread the word about "Holding on to HOPE," Children's Grief Awareness Day or grieving children?A: You can help us spread the word by sharing with your social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and telling your friends (online or in person), about "Holding on to HOPE" and Children's Grief Awareness Day. If they are looking for additional information, point them to www.childrensgriefawarenessday.com or www.childrensgriefawarenessday.com/hope. Sending HOPE on to OthersQ: How quickly do I need to send the quilt square on?A: Because we all want to spread HOPE to as many people as possible, it is best to pass HOPE along as soon as you can after you are able to take your photo and upload it. Q: Who do I send HOPE to next? How do I decide where HOPE should go?A: Send HOPE to someone you know personally, someone who would be willing to show their support and pass HOPE along themselves. It could be someone who helped you through a difficult time, someone who might need some extra support, or anyone else you think would like some HOPE. The choice is up to you! It is important to contact the person ahead of time though to make sure he or she wants to be involved so that HOPE doesn't get stuck on its journey. Q: Can I give HOPE to someone who lives nearby or does it have to "travel?"A: While it will be interesting to see HOPE travel all across the globe, the distance that HOPE travels is not the most important thing. What is important is that HOPE is shared with those who need HOPE. So whether the person you have in mind to receive HOPE lives next door or halfway across the world, please feel free to pass HOPE on to whoever you think would most benefit from receiving HOPE. Q: Can HOPE be sent to an organization or just to individuals?A: Certainly organizations can use HOPE as much as individuals can. If you know of an organization you'd like to pass HOPE on to, by all means feel free to do that. People would enjoy seeing photographs of groups (large and small) "Holding on to HOPE" just like they'd enjoy seeing individuals with the butterfly. So yes—HOPE can be sent to both organizations and individuals, allowing anyone the opportunity to show their support for grieving children. However, when sending HOPE to an organization, especially the quilt square, it is best to address it to a specific individual so that it doesn't get lost. Make sure to contact the person before you send HOPE, so you know they are willing to be part of the chain in sending HOPE on to the next person. Q: What's the best way to send the cloth or paper butterfly?A: The cloth butterfly can be easily folded and mailed in a large (9 inch x 12 inch or 22 cm x 30 cm) envelope. Placing the quilt square back in its gallon-size sealable plastic bag before it goes in the envelope will help keep it clean and dry. The paper version of HOPE can be folded or kept flat. Either way is fine. You can also send HOPE the butterfly electronically. Just attach this link (HOPE the Butterfly) to an email or to your Facebook or other social media channels and share HOPE with your friends. Q: What if I want to participate but don't have anyone to send HOPE to?A: For the quilt square, if there isn't anyone else you can think of, you can always send HOPE back to the address that's printed on the back of the square. We will send it out on a new journey. But before you do, take and share a photograph of you with HOPE. It will still mean a lot to children grieving the death of a loved one. For the paper version of HOPE, you really don't have to send it to someone. Again, please do share your photo with everyone else, but if you just can't think of who to send HOPE to, that's fine. GriefQ: I'm looking for more information about grief. Where can I find it?A: If you live in Pennsylvania near a Caring Place facility, please feel free to contact the site nearest you for more information (visit the Caring Place Locations page to see where these facilities are located). Otherwise, the following are a few good websites to check out for more grief related information:
Contact InformationQ: Who can I contact for more information or questions?A: Please email us at contactus@highmarkcaringplace.com for comments or questions.
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