Tidewell Foundation Seeks Holiday Gifts for Grieving Children and Families

November 23, 2021 – Sarasota

The Tidewell Foundation invites our community to help make holiday wishes come true for those who need it most by providing gifts for grieving children and families. There are multiple ways to support the Tidewell Foundation’s effort, which will benefit local families enrolled in Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program.

Each holiday season, the Tidewell Foundation asks these children to share their personal gift wish lists. The Tidewell Foundation then works with generous individuals, businesses and community groups across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties to ensure that each child and family receives their gifts, which are handed out during a holiday carnival held just for them. Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program has expanded into new communities to serve more families in 2021, heightening the need for gifts this year.

“While the holidays are an uplifting time for many, they can also serve as a painful reminder for children of a parent or special person they’ve lost — whether it’s their first season without them or years later,” said Tidewell Foundation President Debbie Mason. “Holiday shopping can create stress for their parents and caregivers who are coping themselves, especially if the person who has passed on was the family’s primary breadwinner. There are so many people and organizations in our region looking for a way to give back this season, and there are few better ways than brightening the spirits of these kids and families.”

The Tidewell Foundation will supply donors with wish lists for the children and families they are shopping for. Donors can shop for as many children and families as they wish — making this a great opportunity for businesses and community organizations to get their staff involved. All items should be unwrapped but labeled with the recipient’s name and delivered to either of the following locations by Friday, Dec. 10:

• Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program: 6800 Professional Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240
• The Tidewell Family Grief Center: 4151 37th St. E., Palmetto, FL 34221

Alternatively, donors can sponsor a family or multiple families through cash donations the Tidewell Foundation will use to purchase gifts on their behalf. Cash donations must be made by Wednesday, Dec. 1 to give the Tidewell Foundation’s colleagues enough time to shop for gifts.

To provide gifts or cash donations, or for more information, contact the Tidewell Foundation at Giving@TidewellFoundation.org or (941) 552-7546.

Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly is the only evidence-based program in our region that helps grieving children ages 5-18 and caregivers through professional counseling, peer-support groups and therapeutic activities. The free grief sessions bring children together who are experiencing the complex emotions that follow the loss of a loved one, creating opportunities to process these feelings without judgment while sharing stories that foster comfort and connectedness with others like them. Blue Butterfly peer-support groups are facilitated by grief specialists and trained volunteers who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support children and families. Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly program is 100 percent donor-supported and offered to all in need, whether or not their loved one was a Tidewell Hospice patient.