Building a Nest

Haven (n): a place of refuge or safety⠀

We thought we’d explain a little bit about our name & logo.

We chose the name A Haven because of its definition “a place of refuge or safety.” When grieving - we can’t fix anything for your family - but what we can do is be there and create a safe space to work through feelings and provide tools for coping. Grief can bring up many different strong feelings.  It is normal to feel overwhelmed and alone in this experience.  When one feels safe, it is easier to be open and express these emotions.  The burden of grief can become lighter if we share these feelings and experiences with one another.  Our desire is that every time you come in contact with A Haven, you feel a sense of safety & refuge.

Why did we choose a nest for our logo?  

A nest reflects our desire to provide a "place of refuge or safety" for families with children who are grieving. 

A nest is a safe place to grow and get stronger.

A nest is built ‘piece by piece’ by finding, gathering, and weaving twigs and other materials together. 

We love the idea of building your safe place "piece by piece."  There is no quick-fix in grief because we never stop loving the person who died; we know we are healing when the pain is less.  As we walk everyday with our grief, we have the opportunity to learn what we need and what will be the most supportive to each one of us individually.  Grief is unique for each person.  There is no right or wrong way to grieve.  What one needs for support can look different.  At A Haven, we focus on helping children and their caregivers gather what tools they need to build their safe place.  We help weave coping skills and hope together through support and education.   

This is why we begin and end each group with a bowl of twigs.  This bowl of twigs remind us that each time we gather together, we learn something.  We end each group by taking time to acknowledge and share what tool we gathered or what we are thankful for- something new about ourselves or our loved one, something new about how to cope, or something about what support we need.  As we add these tools together, we begin to build a place of refuge to grow and heal. 

Our desire is that you will continue to weave more pieces into your nest, little by little, as we grow stronger together.  And know, you can always come back the nest if you need.