This past fall and winter at BCW Tree House were busier than ever. The BCW Tree House programs started back up, responding to the needs of the children and families in our community. We are currently serving over 90 families between our two locations in Bronxville and Mt. Kisco. This past fall we held our annual BCW School Professional Training Workshop and completed our BCW Tree House volunteer training. Twelve new compassionate trainees joined our 47 current dedicated volunteers, some of whom donated extra time to impart their wisdom and experience during the training sessions.

We are always seeking ways to reach individuals and families who may be under-served. In response to the unfortunate rise in deaths due to substance abuse, BCW has recently started a group to support those grieving the loss of loved ones to drugs. Thanks to the grant we received from the New York Life Foundation, we now have a counselor on staff who meets with grieving individuals whose primary language is Spanish and provides support to families through the BCW Tree House programs.

On another front, BCW Tree House is moving forward with a major overhaul of our website. I have been working closely with Janet Lyons, Head of Marketing and Development, who is overseeing the project. The new site will stay true to our brand mission and will be more user-friendly and visually impactful.

Last, but not least, we’ve added some dynamic new members to our Fund Board and are thrilled to move through 2018 with them as our advocates. We welcome Louis Bellantoni, Beth McErlean-Pierce, Guy Morris, Mary Karen O’Shaughnessy and Betsy Putnam.

Thanks to all of you who continue to support us through your generosity, We hope to see you at our second annual (can’t-miss) TREE CHIC event.

BCW Tree House would like to thank Pat Woods and Bill McLoughlin, along with all those who participated in or donated to the 8TH Annual Pat Joyce Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Pat Joyce, a local resident and firefighter who died in the line of duty in 2009, was also a volunteer at the Tree House. His friends and family chose to honor his memory with an annual basketball tournament and to donate the proceeds in his name to the BCW Tree House. To date, they have raised over $10,000!

The tournament brings together people from many areas of Pat’s life to compete in the game he loved. As a youth he played basketball at St. Margaret’s in Riverdale where the tournament is held. Teams come from all around to participate, including St. Joseph’s in Bronxville where Pat played in the men’s league and Annunciation in Yonkers where he was a firefighter. The finals are held at Fordham Prep where Pat attended high school.

In its 8th year, the tournament continues to draw crowds, including firefighters who come to honor Pat’s sacrifice. Pat Woods and Bill McLoughlin plan to run this wonderful event for years to come in memory of their friend who gave so much to so many.

(pictured above: Bill McLoughlin and Ellen Bryceland, BCW Fund Board chair)

“How to Build Resilient Kids, Even After a Loss”

by Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, shares her ideas about helping her kids in the aftermath of losing her husband. Read her inspiring words about family rules, sharing stories, building resilience, and finding a way to appreciate life after such a traumatic loss.

Read Full Article.

BCW is thrilled to announce that it was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation, making it the largest grant the BCW has received in its 22 year history. The grant comes from New York Life’s Grief Reach Program, and will enable BCW to expand its Tree House program by adding Spanish speaking counseling services. “We are so very grateful for New York Life’s investment which will enable us to offer more services to multi-lingual families” said Anne-Marie Conlon, Director of the BCW.

The Grief Reach Program was developed by New York Life to bring youth services to kids not served by existing programs. “Grief applications have grown exponentially since the program began five years ago, which illustrates that awareness and demand for bereavement services is growing every year,” said Maria Collins, Vice-President, New York Life Foundation.

The grant money, provided to the BCW over 2 years, will bring the Tree House services to Spanish speaking families. It will be coordinated by Damaris Santiago-Singer, LMHC, a bilingual volunteer at the BCW who has extensive experience in the field of mental health and bereavement, with masters degrees in both Mental Health Counseling and Forensic Psychology.