It’s hard to believe last year has already ended and we’ve already crossed over to 2012. As the founder of the organization, I write to inform you of noteworthy information related to the status of our organization, and to highlight areas of growth and success since we began providing grief support to women experiencing mother-loss.
In the Beginning: Remembering Mom: The Barbara Franklin Foundation™hosted its first Annual Remembering Mom Luncheon Celebration on May 9, 2004 at Natalie’s Restaurant in North Dallas. Seven months later I made a personal decision to start a non-profit organization, with our officially establishment date of December 2004. The organization’s primary mission was to provide grief support to women and their families following the death of a mother. A Board of Directors was comprised of my husband, Raymond, my sister, Karen Dixon and long-time friend, Pat Davis.
During the past seven years we have provided support to hundreds of families from DFW to Kansas, from California to New Hampshire, from Missouri to Maine; from Georgia to Oregon and cities and states in between. We were also fortunate to reach out across geographic lines to support others in Africa, China and even Peru.
We have provided numerous grief support services to the community, including but not limited to:
Annual Remembering Mom Scholarship Award (More on scholarship below.)
Annual Remembering Mom Grief Recovery Seminars
Quarterly Support Groups
Anticipatory Grief Support to Mothers/families
Condolences/memorials at the time of a mother’s death
Announcing our Reorganization Status
During the midst of a sluggish economy along with a decrease in donor contributions (both corporate and individual), the Board Members of Remembering Mom: TheBarbara Franklin Foundation TM recently decided to reorganize while stream-lining our services. Effective January, 2012 we are voluntarily surrendering our non-profit status, however, our services will continue within a limited scope. The only services we will provide moving forward are as follows:
Annual Remembering Mom Luncheon Celebration
Condolences
Support*
ALL OTHER SERVICES, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WILL BE ELIMINATED AT THIS TIME.
*Grief support will be offered on-line via website written material. In addition, we will continue sending our signature condolence cards to those experiencing mother-loss. If you become aware of a family’s loss, please notify us by registering the information on line, or by sending an email to: Regina@rememberingmom.org
More information will be forthcoming throughout the year. Please keep watching the website for additional grief information.
Our Gratitude
The Board of Directors and volunteers of our organization wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has supported our organization since its inception. A non profit organization remains futile without support from the community and from those who believe in our stated mission.
Words cannot express my sincere appreciation for the board members, volunteers and friends who have served unselfishly since 2004. I am also grateful for those who have shared their financial resources with us. Without your sacrifice and commitment we would not have been able to succeed by reaching our goals and stated mission. I am humbled by your willingness to support and serve others during their time of loss and sorrow.
Funding/Financial Support
We are grateful for the donations (both financial and also in-kind) we’ve received over the last seven years. We could not have operated without your financial commitments and support. While we are dissolving as a non-profit entity, we will no longer be able to endorse a tax write off effective February, 2012, however, donations will still be accepted in memory or in honor of your loved ones. Donations would be applied to operational expenses that are incurred on a monthly basis. If you would like to continue sharing your donations in honor or in memory of, please continue to do so by mailing contributions to our post office box:
Remembering Mom: The Barbara Franklin Foundation Post Office Box 670161 Dallas, TX 75367-0161
Continuing to Share and Serve the Community
As the recipient of numerous in-kind donations (primarily school and office supplies for the scholarship program), we will now share the same with selected non-profit organizations in the Dallas area.
Recognizing Our Scholarship Winners
We are proud of the following young women who were the recipients of our annual Remembering Mom Scholarship Award. These young women have all excelled even in the midst of a painful and challenging time in their lives. Mother-loss is a difficult experience at any stage of life, and certainly attending college without the love, encouragement and support of a mother is no small feat. Our congratulations and continue support goes out to the following:
2006: Shelley Davis 2007: Charity Adams 2008: Kayla Torregano 2009: Shuntura Renee Thomas 2010: Kelsey Knowles 2011: Kelsey Burns
SAVE THE DATE
9th Annual Remembering Mom Luncheon Celebration
Saturday, May, 12, 2012
Key Note Speaker: Mr. Larry Barber, LPC-S, CT and Director of ChristianWorks, Griefworks and KidWorks & Author of the grief survival handbook, “Love Never Dies: Embracing Grief and Hope with Promise”. (Larry’s books will be available for sell after our luncheon celebration.)
Event Chair: Jame Frey
Event Co-Chair: Amy Jones Preston
Invitations will be delivered only by E-vite. While we ask for your reply on the Evite Invitation, each guest should prepare to pay for their luncheon ticket directly to the hotel on the day of the event. (You will pay at the door instead of paying the organization.)
If you have any questions regarding the upcoming 9th Annual Remembering Mom Luncheon Celebration or other activities related to our organization, please don’t hesitate to contact: Regina@rememberingmom.org; 214/755-9644
Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year!
My Mom has died. What do I do now? Regina talks about the foundation, her personal grief journey and offers advice on how to work through early grief.
Listen to Regina Franklin-Basye
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Mr. Larry Barber, LPC-S, CT and Director of ChristianWorks, Griefworks and KidWorks & Author of the grief survival handbook, “Love Never Dies: Embracing Grief and Hope with Promise”. (Larry’s books will be available for sell after our luncheon celebration.)