Imagine Provides Training for Valerie Fund Staff

Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss is known in the community for offering free peer support groups for children, teens, young adults and parents/caregivers who are grieving the death of someone close to them. Some community members may not know that Imagine also has a Training and Education Program that offers grief education in schools and workplaces.

Recently, the staff at The Valerie Fund participated in three of Imagine’s trainings led by Training and Education Director, Veronica C. Ortiz, LPC. Staff members from various departments and programs within The Valerie Fund’s organization attended Imagine’s 101 training: Understanding Loss, Grief and Mourning, 201 training: Diving into Grief Through an Intersectional Lens, and 301 training: Skill Building, Planning and Application. The Valerie Fund’s staff members received continuing education credit for all 3 sessions.

The Valerie Fund's mission is to provide individualized care for children with cancer and blood disorders at medical centers close to home, because they believe the most effective way to heal the children in their care is to treat them emotionally, socially and developmentally, as well as medically. Participation in Imagine’s trainings was part of their commitment to supporting their families.

Veronica said this about the training: “It has been an absolute pleasure partnering with The Valerie Fund. During the trainings, their staff members were open to having open and honest conversations to deepen and further their learning and understanding, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to facilitate these conversations. It’s evident that The Valerie Fund has a team of committed staff members who show up in support of the families they serve. I’m incredibly grateful for this partnership and glad they chose Imagine to go on this grief education journey together. “

If you’d like to learn more about Imagine’s Training and Education Program, please contact Veronica at veronica@imaginenj.org or 908-264-3100, Ext. 104.

ABOUT THE VALERIE FUND: After their nine-year-old daughter Valerie Goldstein succumbed to cancer in 1976, her parents Sue and Ed Goldstein were determined that no family should have to travel great distances to receive superior medical care. Along with a group of close friends, they began fundraising efforts from their living room---tireless work that would lead to the 1977 opening of New Jersey’s first pediatric oncology facility at Summit’s Overlook Hospital. Nearly fifty years later, The Valerie Fund’s mission remains that of supporting comprehensive healthcare for children battling cancer and blood disorders. The Valerie Fund treats more than 6,500 patients each year at eight treatment centers and a dedicated pediatric pain & palliative care program across New Jersey, New York, and metro Philadelphia.

ABOUT iMAGINE: Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss is a 501c3 that offers training and education on loss and grief to the community and free year-round grief support groups for children ages 3-18 and young adults 19-30 who are coping with a loss due to death. Concurrently, support groups are available for the parents and caregivers of the children in the groups and offered in English and Spanish. For more information, please contact Imagine at 908-264-3100 or info@imaginenj.org or visit our website at www.imaginenj.org.