Natalie Bird is a facilitator for our bereavement support groups. After her mom, Frances, passed away of internal bleeding in April, 2007, she sought the support of Tapestries of Hope. She regularly attended the support groups and monthly meetings and, even as she went through her own grief, offered her hand to other daughters who joined our groups. Natalie very much wanted to pay it forward, so took our facilitator training, then joined the Tapestries staff so that she could support other daughters in grief. In addition to facilitating our support groups, she is a member of our Grief Posse, reaching out, again, through phone support, to newly bereaved daughters.
Alison Miller is a certified facilitator through the American Academy of Bereavement, with further certifications in field traumatology, critical incident stress management and compassion fatigue. Her past career was in hospice bereavement and she facilitated many support groups for siblings and family members. Following the attacks of 9/11, Alison served as a volunteer at Liberty State Park, assisting family members and survivors. Alison’s mom, Betty Catharine, died of breast cancer on July 29, 1996, six months after her brother Kysa died of Hodgkins. This eventually led her, with the support of friends, to found Tapestries of Hope. Her focus and her passion is supporting daughters who are grieving their moms/mother figures. In May 2009, Alison officially stepped down as President of TOH, in order to join her husband in retirement. She remains active with the daughters of TOH, while traveling full-time around the country in her red Escape. If you are so inclined, you can follow her travels at http://alwayspink.blogspot.com.
Charlene Radcliff formerly worked in hospice care and fundraising. Shortly after Tapestries of Hope was started, she volunteered her support in fundraising efforts, and continues that support now, still as a volunteer, as Vice-President of Tapestries of Hope.
Alisa Miller is a Licensed Social Worker, a Certified Bereavement Facilitator, and the Bereavement Coordinator for Lighthouse Hospice where she frequently counsels individuals. She has facilitated, and been a member of, support groups for women grieving the loss of their mothers, grieving children/ teens, and adults in general. Alisa was just 20 when her mom Elaine, at age 49, died of breast cancer, and that early grief set her on the road to her career in hospice. She works full-time in hospice, and volunteers the rest of her time in continuing the mission of Tapestries of Hope.
Linda Sesko is a facilitator for our bereavement support groups. After her mom, Patricia, died suddenly of pneumonia on January 6, 2007, she found herself "lost and changed". In one of those happenings that you list under “coincidences” she read an article about Tapestries of Hope in the Philadelphia Inquirer, ironically on Mother's Day. Linda attended TOH group “Reflections of Our Moms”, and then another one year later following the death of her dad, enabling her to further work through her grief. Like so many of our group alumnae, Linda wanted to give back, and pass on, what she considered invaluable tools that could assist other daughters in the life changing experience of mother loss. She attended facilitator training, and soon realized that she loved offering support to other grieving daughters, and appreciated the valuable friendships fostered through Tapestries of Hope and its’ ongoing activities. In addition to her volunteer work as a staff member with TOH, Linda is a part time pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant nurse, has a lovely supportive husband (Frank!), and two kids.
