What is Canary Garden?

Canary Garden is a non-profit community-based organization in Orem, Utah, dedicated to providing a safe and caring environment for children and adolescents who are grieving the death of a family member. Canary Garden is committed to creating awareness of and support for grieving children and their families.

Our Philosophy

Children's grief is unique and encompasses many natural reactions. Canary Garden provides group support through interaction with peers, trained volunteers, and professionals. Family members have opportunities to acknowledge their grief and to continue their lives in a hopeful and confident manner. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Grief is like a long valley." At Canary Garden we understand that grief is a journey you do not have to make alone.

What Is Grief Support or Bereavement Support?

Approximately one in 20 children experience the death of a parent before they reach the age of eighteen. Many others experience the death of a brother or sister. By sharing their grief experiences with other young people, children and teenagers are better able to resolve their grief and move forward in the healing process.

Canary Garden offers a safe, comfortable environment in which to express grief and its many emotions. Our groups offer open-end support, because we understand the timetable for the grief and bereavement process varies with each individual. You leave when you are ready to move on, not before.

What Can I Expect?

Grief is explored using art, music, play, storytelling and creative writing. Weekly session provide peer group support. Trained volunteers facilitate the following age appropriate groups:

• 3-5 years old
• 6-9 years old
• 10-12 years old
• 13-18 years old
• Adult groups

A licensed non-denomonasional chaplin available for individual counseling. Canary Garden services are provided at no charge.

Where Do I Call For Help?

If you or someone you know can benefit from the services of Canary Garden, please contact us at:

Donations

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Canary Garden relies on community support to fund its program. All donations are tax deductible. In-kind contributions are also welcome.

If you would like to make a donation - Click Here

Upcoming Events

The Canary Garden Golf Tournament is coming soon. To register or sponsor, download the files below:

• Coming Soon

How Can I Help?

• Volunteering time to work with the children and their families.
• Volunteering skills to help with the work of our Board of Directors --Fund raising, public relations, etc.
• Tax deductible contributions of cash, checks, pledges or planned gifts from individuals, corporations and community groups.
• Various service projects for scout troops, religious organizations, community action groups.
• Representatives of Canary Garden are available to speak to schools, churches, health care professionals and civic groups.

What The Kids Are Saying:

"Canary Garden means a lot to me. It helps me through tough times and it helps me to come to peace of mind." Gage, age 12

"My Dad passed away in May and one of the things I look forward to each week is Canary Garden and seeing all my friends and talking about the people we love the most." Logan, age 10

"It has helped me a lot to deal with the grief. We draw, write and listen to music as well as talk. It's great!" Ashley, age 10

"I feel better when I come here and it's helping me so much." Sheri, age 12

"I think Canary Garden is a very positive experience for anyone who has lost a loved one and wants to talk about it and how it has affected every aspect of their lives. Canary Garden is a place where everybody can just relax and make new friends who have gone through the exact same thing that they have gone through. And it shows them that feeling sad and crying is OK and it doesn't make you weird or a softy." Justin, age 14

Other Resources

Dave, Amy and Allie Dennison lost their father a few years ago, and wrote a book about their experiences coping with the loss. The book is called "After You Lose Someone You Love" and they have a web site with more information, which can be found at LosingAParent.org and AfterYouLoseSomeoneYouLove.blogspot.com.

In the News

February 27, 2005.
The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) (www.harktheherald.com).
Helping children cope with loss
On a chilly Monday evening in February, 6-year-old Carissa Ator walked into a Provo recreation center and picked out a button-nosed teddy bear from a wicker basket. She left her mom and six siblings and introduced herself to children her age seated in a circle. "My dad died in a plane crash, and my name is Carissa. I'm feeling fine," she whispered, her voice soft but clear. Carissa's greeting mirrored those of the five children who spoke before her, and it is similar to the greeting she will give every week when she comes to Canary Garden, a Utah County support group geared specifically toward grieving children.
FULL STORY

February 27, 2005.
The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) (www.harktheherald.com).
Help at home: Parents play key role in helping children mourn
Though important, group support and counseling are not cure-alls for grieving children, said Lori Findeis, a licensed clinical social worker at the Children's Counseling Center in Orem. Parents play a pivotal role in supporting children in between sessions of counseling or therapy, she said. "Parents and the parent-child relationship are so important, no matter what outside support the child is receiving," Findeis said. "Most importantly, when parents help the process at home, they reinforce concepts the child learns and also help improve their relationship, which gives the child even more support." Springville resident Paul Baltes, who lost his wife, Carrie, to pancreatic cancer in 2004, said that although the Provo grief support center Canary Garden helped his two children mourn and cope with losing their mom, it wasn't enough. He also had to find methods to work with them at home.
FULL STORY

April 20, 2004.
The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) (www.harktheherald.com).
Balloons send skyward notes from grieving families to lost loved ones
Sheri Jenson, 12, of Lehi on Monday decorated a yellow slip of paper with hearts and a note for her brother, Cody, who died last year of double pneumonia on top of a neurodegenerative disease. He was 14. Jenson's family gathered with others associated with Canary Garden, a center for grieving families. They affixed notes on balloons filled with helium -- notes to their dead relatives. In a giant display of connecting, of sending a message to their lost loved one and of letting go, they released about 35 balloons into the evening sky.
FULL STORY

January 19, 2004. Front page story.
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, Utah) (www.deseretnews.com).
'GARDEN' HELPS SUPPORT CHILDREN IN MOURNING
Provo center assists in coping with painful loss
Four-year-old Calen Briggs is sad and confused because his brother J.J. isn't coming back. As Calen tells it, J.J. died from "cancer bugs" and then just disappeared. And no matter how hard Calen tries, he can't seem to bring his big brother back.
FULL STORY - More Information

June 18, 2003.
The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) (www.harktheherald.com).
Group supports children as they grieve for lost loved ones
Every week, a small group of volunteers meet at the Provo Teen Center to help children who've lost a brother or sister, a mom or a dad. They talk about death and about life, and give the children a special place to grieve. The program, called Canary Garden, isn't group therapy. Volunteers are there to lead discussions and offer support, and the children also support each other.
FULL STORY

With Heartfelt Thanks to:

• Ashton Family Foundation
• Campbell & Associates
• Community Shares/Utah
• George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation
• Marion D. & Maxine C. Hanks Foundation
• Larry H. Miller Charities
• Neways International
• Utah Families Foundation