Buzzy's Bees news & updates
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The days are longer, plants are dressing up in shades of green and pastel colors, and the weather is…unpredictable! It must be spring. We love sharing our Buzzy’s Bees updates and invite you to join us in our mission in any way that works for you. Sign up to join us for golf on May 4 or sponsor a hole, even if you are unable to attend. If the theater is more to your liking, check out the production at Metropolitan Performing Arts Center, Vancouver, WA, March 15-30, where some of the art from Give Grief a Voice will be on display. Reach out to us if you have some hours or some skills that you are able to share. We appreciate connecting with you as we continue to serve more families who have unexpectedly lost a young child. Thank you! |
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2024 Golf Tournament -- Sign Up Today! |
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Join us on Saturday, May 4th for a star-studded day at this Hollywood-themed fundraising tournament, where the fairways are as legendary as the silver screen. Get ready to swing in style, as we raise funds for a blockbuster cause that deserves a standing ovation. It’s not just a golf tournament; it’s a cinematic experience on the course!
The morning kicks off with an epic 18-hole par-3 competition, followed by our beloved mini-golf tournament and luncheon party. It's a day fit for celebrities and golf enthusiasts alike!
By joining us, you're not just having a blast on the course – you're making a real difference in the lives of bereaved families. Proceeds from this event support our Financial Gifts program, offering unrestricted financial assistance to those who need it most.
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GGaV Gallery Goes to Washington |
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2024 saw more members join the Gallery Tour team, including Abraham Schroeder, Jessica Johns, Vanessa Smith, Emilia Kirstein, Janice Kirstein, and Sarah Schaff. With their efforts, Buzzy’s was able to curate its first exhibition in Washington state at the Evergreen Health Medical Center in February, which will remain in place through July 2024. Buzzy’s Bees also gained the opportunity to exhibit at the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center from March 15th - March 30th as a companion to the play Next to Normal, which deals heavily in the topics of child loss and mental health. On March 17th, Amanda and a psychiatrist will be featured in The Talk Back panel discussion following the plays 2PM showing, where they will field questions about the real life impact of the play's content.
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As we continue to move into 2024, we look forward to continuing our tour and opening the conversation around grief and child loss. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Satterberg foundation for their generous grant that made this year's tour possible, as well as to all of the venues that have welcomed us thus far. We would also like to thank our Gallery Tour team for their hard work. From finding venues to hanging art on the walls, we appreciate all the labor and love you put into this project. Importantly, we would like to thank everyone who has come to our exhibitions to see the art. Though conversations around grief are difficult, and often uncomfortable, we appreciate your willingness to challenge your ideas and open your hearts. We hope you’ll continue to follow our journey.
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We have been able to provide financial gifts to 7 families, totaling $3,200. There are 2 more pending. The needs are varied as families face the unimaginable. We've received notes of gratitude, including the following:
"Thank you again for everything... how can I be so thankful when I'm so sad." -- Oregon Local family (Headstone & Casket)
"We would like to thank you in advance for your gift and support during this time, it is greatly appreciated." -- Pennsylvania family (Monthly Bills)
"Oh my goodness this is such a blessing. Thank you so much." -- Social Worker in Tennessee (funeral costs)
Our hearts are with these families as they mourn. If you know of a bereaved family who could use some financial support, please let us know through this application.
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The beginning of 2024 has been busy for Give Grief a Voice. In February, our team traveled to the East Coast for four in-person interviews. Earlier this month, we had our first virtual interview of the year, with more scheduled throughout spring. Our writers have been working on creating stories based on precious memories. Our artists have been unpacking their brushes and preparing their canvases in preparation for creating these priceless pieces. The event task force is working hard to plan the 2024 Art Exhibition and Benefit. As we continue the creative process for this year, we look forward to giving these families their art and stories to honor their little ones. |
We are happy to be launching a hybrid version of DUBS that will include both virtual and in-person events. Plans for 2024 include the following. Please reach out to Alex for more details (dubs@buzzysbees.com):
DUBS Virtual Gathering
Saturday, June 15, 2024 · 10:00 – 11:00 am PT
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/yer-svki-hxf
Or dial: (US) +1 443-671-8440 PIN: 233 406 259#
BBQ-July-TBD
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Donate to Buzzy's Through Thrivent |
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Thanks to all Thrivent clients with membership who directed Thrivent Choice Dollars® to Buzzy’s Bees in 2023! The grant funds of $501 last year helped us to fulfill our mission to support grieving families.
If you are eligible to direct funds through this program and have not done so for 2023, March 31, 2024, is the deadline to do so. Simply log into your online account and select Direct Choice Dollars.
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Our hearts ache with each family that is experiencing the loss of a young child. Grief is present for months and years. There is always a space at the table and in the family photo where this child should be. One way to acknowledge and remember a child is with a gift in memory of a little one. In 2023 these children were remembered with gifts in their memory: |
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- Wyatt Bonus
- Caius
- Aiden Causey
- Benji Chen
- Hudson Drews
- Sarah Kathryn Fargo
- Hannah Hayes
- Jaxsyn Keys
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- Donna Livengood
- Garron Martin
- Judy Lynn Meyer
- Elliott Shelton
- Mollie Smith
- Tayjon
- Bella Cypress Turner
- MIles Hobbes Xu
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Thank You to Our 2023 Donors |
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With a wonderfully successful end of year fundraising campaign, along with generous donors contributing throughout the year, we raised enough money to grow our program spending by 30% again this year. Our 2024 budget totals $91k in expenses. This means more bereaved families will be able to receive a financial gift, participate in the Give Grief a Voice project, and find peer support through DUBS. We anticipate that this year your dollars will directly impact 80 families.
Thank you to our amazing “hive” of people of close to 150 contributors who make the mission of Buzzy’s Bees possible. Contributions throughout the year of time, services, special skills, and generous gifts created the opportunity for our growth.
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We are excited to introduce (and re-introduce!) three new members of our team! To read more about them, visit our blog. |
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We are delighted to announce the expansion of Alex Causey’s role on the Buzzy’s Bees team. As our new Financial Gifts Program Coordinator, Alex will assist behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. This program has seen incredible growth in 2023 with the number of gifts distributed (24!) more than double that of the previous year. Having a dedicated person employed to keep things rolling will be so very valuable.
Alex will also continue to support DUBS (Dedicated Universal Bereavement Support), which she helped develop. The DUBS acronym is also a nickname for her son Aiden who died of SUDC in 2018 at age three and a half.
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We are grateful for the skills that Abraham Schroeder brings to the team to find and secure sites as the California Gallery Tour Coordinator.
Additionally, Abraham is serving as Publishing Consultant as we seek to find an outlet for the Give Grief a Voice book. The book is a compilation of the stories and art from the five seasons of Give Grief a Voice, and we believe there is a need and a place for it in the hands of a wider audience.
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New to her role as Director of Operations, but not new to Buzzy’s Bees, is Nancy Petrie. She has been a volunteer with Buzzy’s Bees from the beginning. Nancy has committed to supporting the mission in various ways through the years in memory of her grandson, Hudson.
She brings with her experiences from two careers - education leadership and financial planning. Now retired from professional pursuits, she appreciates the Buzzy’s Bees team of dedicated volunteers and continues to be inspired by them to participate where she can be helpful. As Buzzy’s Bees has grown, the need for some operational focus presented an opportunity for Nancy to bring her list-making, coordinating, and communicating tendencies to the team.
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This quarter we’re happy to acknowledge and thank the volunteer contributions of Janice Kirstein. A local artist in Washington State, Janice used her connections to help Buzzy's contact Evergreen Hospital, and with her help we were able to coordinate with the hospital's gallery team and hang our art at the hospital.
In addition, Janice reached out to ArtAccess magazine to ask if they could run an ad for us about the exhibit. Not only did ArtAccess agree to put an ad in their next edition, they agreed to print the ad free of charge!
As we continue to expand the reach of our Gallery Tour past the borders of Oregon, we are grateful for artists like Janice who volunteer their knowledge of their community to help Buzzy's spread it's message. Thank you, Janice!
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Thoughts from our Blog
In case you missed it, here is recent post from our blog.
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On September 30th, the art was revealed to our families who shared their stories of loss with our Give Grief a Voice team in 2023. At the event several parents shared their grief journey. Tiffany Pan courageously read aloud her poem, “Bereaved Mom.” With her permission we share it with our Buzzy’s hive here.
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Additional Ways to Support Buzzy's Bees |
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Volunteer Opportunities - Giving your time and talents |
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If you are looking to get involved with Buzzy's Bees, we are always happy to match your interests, available time, and specific talents with one of our standing committees. Please get in touch! Sometimes folx are looking for a defined role, in which case, here are a couple of opportunities to consider:
Golf Event Planning Committee Member - contact Nate Drews
Our 8th annual mini and par-3 golf event will be held on May 4, 2024. This committee meets virtually and we keep things light, fun, and organized. Help us develop the event theme, reach out to potential hole sponsors, determine event prizes, lunch menu, swag bags, and other special touches to make the day a success. We’d love to add you to our team!
Family Art Reveal Task Force - contact Amanda Drews
Our Family Reveal Event, held each fall, is the cornerstone of our Give Grief a Voice program, where families finally see their art piece for the first time and can meet other families from the program. A lot of work goes into putting these events together. Much of the work can be done virtually, so please consider joining this team.
IT Support - contact Julie Schneider
Have you noticed that our emails are .com even though we are a .org website? Do you have the IT talent to help us transition our email addresses to the new domain? We could use your help!
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Giving Partners
Thank you for your ongoing support through matching and other programs. Check these options:
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Benevity - A matching program through your employer (ie Google, Microsoft, Nike, etc)
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BottleDrop We are a registered non-profit with Oregon's BottleDrop and can receive proceeds from your donated cans and bottles! If you want to participate or have any further questions please reach out to Alex at dubs@buzzysbees.com.
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Fred Meyer Community Rewards - In addition to receiving personal rewards you can link your customer card to Buzzy’s Bees at Fred Meyer Community Rewards
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Thrivent Choice Dollars - If you have an insurance or annuity contract with Thrivent you may have Choice Dollars to designate. Check it out at thrivent.com under the My Thrivent heading.
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Grief does not discriminate. Buzzy’s Bees strives to support a broad and diverse community of grieving families. |
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BUZZY'S BEES | buzzysbees.org | hello@buzzysbees.com |
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