My Nonprofit Reviews

My name is Roberta, I lost my oldest son in May 2017. I was depressed, lonely, really didn't care if I lived or not. While online one day looking for help before I totally lost my mind, I found an online group of people like me!! Grieving and searching for Hope! I found a group called Wings of Hope Living Forward. Through this group, Retreats for just grieving moms and others for couples began. I have attended many of the Retreats and each one was a part of my living forward process. Tragically in March 2015 I lost another son, both boys were in mid 30's. Through the Retreats I had made many lifelong sister friends. I had support that I didn't have before, people to share my feelings with and not be judged. Friends I could laugh with for the first time in a very long time, I could talk about my boys and people cared instead of cringe. I can cry one minute and laugh the next and the moms at the Retreats understand... because they are living the same nightmare! Shirley and Renee do an outstanding job with these Retreats. It is obvious the Retreats are a labor of love, these ladies hearts and souls are put into everything that is done. For me and many others it's a hospital for our grieving hearts.

My name is Roberta Keene, May 31, 2010 my life was forever changed when my oldest son Jeremy passed away. I was lost, depressed, felt alone and had no idea how to help myself. I found out that a group of grieving moms were going to meet for a retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. I was very apprehensive!!! I had talked to some of the moms in our Wings of Hope FB group, but now I was meeting them face to face and spending several days with them. From the moment I walked in to our beautiful mountain cabin, I was at ease. These moms are now my life long friends, my sisters! At the retreats we laugh and for many of us it's the first time in a long time. We cry and it's ok. We talk about our children and people care instead of cringe. We honor our children and do activities to keep their memory alive. I have been to several retreats and I can honestly say it helped me more than anything else. Tragically on March 17, 2015 I lost my second oldest son Josh. My sisters in grief were there for me once again. The retreat I attended after his death gave me strength to go on. There is no other organization that has such an outreach of love and compassion and they put their very heart and soul into these retreats.

I lost my oldest son 5/31/2010. Unless you have lost a child you can't fathom our pain. I joined an online grief group and quickly found so many others that shared my pain!
I was privileged to attend the first retreat and meet so many friends I had only chatted with online. The retreats are wonderful, I'm able to share my grief and have so much support. In March 2015 the unthinkable happened, I lost a second child. I had more support from Wings of Hope Living Forward than I did from family and local friends. This organization has helped me to move forward. Yes I love and miss my boys, and will until I see them again. I have learned to release my grief as needed and still live. I have been blessed to attend 5 retreats, one was sponsored by a donor just after my second son died. So many of us have been helped by this wonderful group.