| Name | Brittany |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Spence |
| Home Address | 4233 Waymar Dr Memphis, TN 38117 United States |
| Organization Name | Forrest Spence Fund |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | I am the co-founder and Executive Director of the Forrest Spence Fund |
| Organization Address | PO Box 770478 Memphis, Tn 38177 United States |
| Website | https://forrestspencefund.org |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 9014216909 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 9012700977 |
| Email Address | brittany@forrestspencefund.org |
| Alternate Email Address | lydia@forrestspencefund.org |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | The mission of the Forrest Spence Fund is to assist with the non-medical needs of critically or chronically ill children and their families throughout the Mid-South. A part of how we fulfill that mission is by providing counseling for families who have lost a child or have a critically or chronically ill child. We do this by connecting families with local, third-party counselors, and covering 100% of the cost. When a hurting family is referred to us by one of their healthcare providers, we assess their interest in connecting with a counselor and from there, connect them with a counselor who can best serve their specific needs as well as one who is in their geographic area. A family or individual can then make 6 counseling appointments and we will cover 100% of the cost. If they find those appointments helpful and consistently keep the appointments, we will cover the cost of 6 more appointments. Unfortunately, many cannot afford counseling. Through this program, we seek to provide families with counseling so that they can grieve, cope, and heal, and eventually, find a new normal. Counseling strengthens and supports and through counseling, our beneficiaries are able to restore their marriages, heal their hearts, restore their mental health, and re-enter society on the other side of grief and loss. Counseling does not make the pain go away, but it does provide families with healthy ways to experience their grief and to move forward in the midst of hardship. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Our goal for this program is to help families in the midst of some of the darkest days of their lives. When a child is ill or dying, it is not only the child that suffers. Instead, the whole support system suffers and without proper help marriages, relationships, and hope can die. The loss or illness of a loved one causes catastrophic damage to the mental health of everyone around them and counseling is a very necessary aspect of the healing process. The mental health of families is battered and bruised by the experiences and trauma of having a critically or chronically ill child and the challenge is only exacerbated by the current pandemic. In the almost 2 years that the pandemic has been raging, families have been alone in their darkest time. Families have been alone in the hospital with no support because of the many Covid restrictions. In many cases, only one caregiver was allowed in the hospital which is isolating not only for the patient, but also for the caregiver. Other caregivers have not been permitted to take turns caring for the child and other supporting nonprofits and volunteers have not been permitted to enter the hospital at all, which strips caregivers of yet another means of support. The pandemic has taken an already difficult situation and made it infinitely more challenging, isolating, and exhausting. Caregivers are becoming so burnt out that their mental health is suffering and that’s where counseling is so vital. We are committed to covering 100% of the cost for families in need to receive counseling when they are dealing with the illness or death of a child and we believe that this service is even more needed in the wake of the pandemic. |
| Where would your project take place? | Chattanooga |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 5000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | January 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 1 year |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | We would measure our success by our ability to service more families who are struggling with mental health due to a sick child or the death of a child |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | By working closely with the counselors and families to make sure they are receiving the support and treatment that they need. We will check in with counselors regularly to make sure that our funds are being used wisely. We initially cover the cost of 6 sessions and if the family is benefitting from them, we will cover another 6 sessions. If however, a family has not been attending, we will hold off on providing more sessions. By staying in contact with the counselors, we can make sure we are making the best use of our resources and providing counseling for those who are willing to do the work of healing through counseling. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Mental health is something that affects the entire community. If families are struggling with their mental health then it affects so many besides themselves. Communities are stronger when all the members of the community are in a healthy place. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | We as an organization already have connections in the community of Chattanooga and both volunteers and donors who support the work we are doing there. In 2022 we will also be hiring a staff member in the Chattanooga area who will head up our programs there. We rely on our contacts in the hospital to refer families to us who are in need of counseling and we are very well connected with the staff of Chattanooga’s children’s hospital. |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? |