25 Years of Brooke's Place

“My employer is a sponsor for the Legacy of Hope Breakfast each year. I attended for the first time back in 2018 and felt a strong connection to the mission of Brooke’s Place. Then, not long after moving to Mississippi and getting married, my husband was tragically killed in a USAF plane mishap—I had experienced intense grief for the first time in my life.”

“ I’m Dave Meyer and I’m a Dad who is grateful to be here. When I go back to where our Brooke’s Place story began, my mind jumps to Christmas 2002. My wife and I had decided to end our marriage. We were hoping to smile through the holidays and find a good bad time afterwards to tell the kids. Jake was 12, Carson 7, and Max would be two in April.”

“My daughter and I started attending Brooke’s Place in the summer of 2021. The evening my mom passed at our home, the coroner left a list of resources to contact and Brooke’s Place was one of them. So glad they did and our grieving has been all the better for being apart of Brooke’s Place. We come most every Tuesday (E Night) on the west side and my daughter has made lots of new friends with the same experience she’s been through.”

“I became connected with Brooke’s Place back in 1999, very early on in the beginning. I went through Facilitator Training with Pam Wright and Carol. I was a Co-Facilitator for the 3-5 year olds. I was entering Grad School at that time to get my Master’s in Social Work.”

“My mom passed away unexpectedly when I was 14 and I attended a grief support group program in Cincinnati that I later volunteered for. When I came to Indianapolis in 2003 to attend Butler University, I found Brooke's Place at a community fair on campus. I immediately knew it was an organization that I wanted to volunteer for, as the organization that I attended in Cincinnati had such an impact on my own grief journey. I have been volunteering with Brooke's Place since 2004. I have served on C, B, and now F nights with 10-12 year olds and teens.”

“My late wife was diagnosed with cancer at 24 so we knew having children might not be possible. I’ve always wanted to be a dad so when I came across the opportunity to volunteer for Brooke’s Place, it was an easy choice.”

“My coworker referred me to Brooke’s Place because her son had lost his father. We had our initial visit, and after that, we just felt so comfortable with the staff and felt welcome. Since our initial visit, we have felt like Brooke’s Place has our backs.”

“In the early days, I followed a friend’s suggestion to join her as a Brooke’s Place volunteer facilitator. We both knew Brooke’s family through our children’s school. And, along with many others, we believed in the importance of a grieving center. Later I also joined the board and eventually became its secretary.”

“We honor our grief by talking about Nana, my Mom, Kathy and the other people we’ve lost. We share stories about Nana, and we continue with many of her favorite traditions. Those favorites include making our family’s candy recipes around the holidays. We spend an entire evening busy baking and wrapping and watching Christmas movies together while also decorating our house for the holidays.”

“My Mom had a significant impact on my life. She died 34 years ago and I think about her every day. She and so many others have helped me become the person that I am today. I strive to pass on their love and kindness to the children and families of Brooke's Place.”

“Here is what I'll share about my Papaw, Clyde Rayburn Sallust, who died when I was 13. I grew up in a small town, which was a kid type bike ride away from where two of my favorite people in the world lived, my Mamaw & Papaw. I always felt loved by Papaw, but spent more time with Mamaw.”

“We keep him alive in our home. We talk about him often and what he would think or do in situations we’re in because I always want my kids to know their dad since they will remember so little.“

“One way that I honor my mom’s grief is by going to Brooke’s Place.There, I get to tell the story of my mom and myself. We do fun things to remember our loved ones who passed away.”

“Some of my former college baseball teammates and I set up an endowed scholarship fund in the early 2000s in the name of a teammate, Brian E., who tragically died in an automobile accident within 10 years of graduating from college.”

“Thanks to an idea from Stacey, from my BP adult group, we set up a separate and special Papi tree for Christmas. Rod’s tree has ornaments that have background stories and memories that came in cards and letters sent by our family and friends. We invited people to share their favorite Rod stories with us to help us get to know him through others’ eyes. We set up Papi’s tree on a separate day than our regular tree and take the time to laugh and cry and allow space for tears and memories of our own.”

Lisa, Taylor, Veronica and Kristen have facilitated together for many years.

“My dad died of cancer 22 years ago. We started at Brooke’s Place a few months after his death. I was in the 6-9 year old group and really enjoyed spending time with kids my age who were navigating similar feelings. After some time, we closed. About 10 years later, I was in high school and struggling with how to navigate my grief. I reached out to Carol Braden about returning to Brooke’s Place and was welcomed back with open arms.”

JB has been many things to Brooke’s Place throughout the last 25 years including staff and volunteer.

“One way we honor our loved ones is by celebrating the yearly anniversary of their death. We eat tacos for dinner, dads favorite. A family friend makes his favorite cake every year that we also enjoy. On Christmas Eve we read Christmas books to all our loved ones at the columbarium. I made a blanket for each of the boys from his Tshirts they all sleep with. “

“Our daughter died 13 years ago at 32 and I never received formal counseling, but my faith allows me to get through it daily. When our church ESC posted the opportunity to volunteer, I saw it as a way to give back at the same time help me to heal. This journey so for has done just that.”

“One way I honor my grief is just allowing it to happen. Giving myself permission to be sad and work through a moment of grief by just sitting in that moment. Because grief seems to come at unexpected moments and I know the sadness won’t last forever I just embrace the moment.”

“Considering that I am on the brink of 80, I have in the natural course of life experienced losses of loved ones. I did lose both my parents as a young adult ( by the time I was 30 ) as well as grandparents but I was supported by in-laws. I came to Brookes Place as a result of contact during the years I was a mental health counselor in an elementary school . I knew how loss had affected many of the children I encountered during those years.”

“We (Jackson, Alex and myself) started attending group night in September of 2011. We attended for a little more than 8 years. Both boys participated in the grief counseling services offered at Brooke's Place at one point or another. Both Jackson and Alex have attended at least one Camp Healing Tree. We have attended more Brooke's Place fishing outings than I can remember, and have even been out on Mr. Jordan's boat because of it. I have been volunteering for the Hope Fore Tomorrow golf outing most every year for about 10 years. Brooke's Place became a refuge for me and for the boys”

“The Swolsky's have been actively involved in Brooke's Place since 1999, devoting their time, talents, and finances without hesitation. Over the past 24 years, Michael and Marcia have been an unshakeable dynamic duo, with their creativity and unwavering support making hard-to-achieve goals a reality.”