Let us be a Lifeline
Grief can be overwhelming and powerful. It can keep you isolated and alone. It can have devastating consequences. It can shatter the world as you...
Parents’ Columns – September 2023
Andrew Michael Levinson 9/16/87 - 9/17/15 For Our Andrew - Life was never as expected. We couldn’t have imagined Muscular Dystrophy would be part of...
My Grief Journey
My Grief Journey My son died in 2006. It is inconceivable to me that he died & how many years it is. I could not grasp how my heart could be...
Co-Presidents’ Message – August 2023
In the first year after my brother passed, I had a number of dreams in which he appeared and they always left me feeling helpless. I talked...
Healing Tip – August 2023
Many grievers feel unsupported as their grief continues beyond expectations of mourning time. There are messages in society that display support...
Co-President’s Message – July 2023
The great American author Ernest Hemingway once wrote “no one you love is every truly lost”. Since my daughter Samantha Rose passed away...

How to Find a Grief Organization
Grief organizations play a vital role in offering compassion, counseling, and a sense of community to individuals and families going through the...
Healing Tip – July 2023
“Grief, I say, come in. Sit down. I have tea. There is honey. This will take as long as it takes.” - This Hallowed Wilderness One of the...
Suggested Reading – Juneteenth
This past month we highlighted Juneteenth and the overlap between generational trauma, grief, and the history of slavery and racism in America. Read...
Parent Column – July 2023
Maybe with a few words I could make sense of what happened fifteen years ago Maybe in a three hundred page book I could make sense of what happened...
Healing Tip – June 2023
The weather is increasingly warmer and many turn their minds towards summer plans. It can be a difficult season as individuals and families...

Co-Presidents’ Message – May 2023
Greetings COPE Community - I want to tell you a short story. Of spirit and inner peace. Once upon a time, there was an expansive and majestic park....

Healing Tip – May 2023
How to Talk about Your Grief Feelings May is mental health awareness month, a time when we like to talk about the fact that we need to discuss...

Suggested readings by Sandra Wolkoff
Linda at Chico’s I could have shipped the dresses back to Chico’s. I had the slip and the free shipping label. The dresses, bolder colors than I...

Parent Column – May 2023
Joshua Quinn Faithfull On March 26, 2017, our beloved, Joshua Quinn Faithfull had his life tragically cut short. Josh always lived life as if each...

Parent Column – April 2023
From Chuck & Gail Lacks Kenneth Michael Lacks 4/29/1964 – 9/18/1995 Wish you were here today, even for just a little while so I could say happy...

Co-President’s Message – April 2023
On April 8, 2016, my brother and I went to Opening Day (Let’s Go Mets). We took a bunch of pictures and two days later, on April 10th, I posted one...

Healing Tip – April 2023
The start of spring is considered a time of renewal and revitalization as mindsets reflect the changes happening in nature. New blooms, warming...

Co-President’s Message – March 2023
I lost my older brother. I’m not sure those words will ever feel real to me but I know they are. During my sibling group the other night, I realized...

Parent Column – March 2023
Joshua Quinn Faithfull On March 26, 2017, Joshua Quinn Faithfull, my soul mate & beloved son had his life tragically cut short from a malignant...

Healing Tip – March 2023
Recommendations for Books on Grief, Trauma, and Meaning Recently I was asked for recommendations for books on grief, trauma, and how to find meaning...

Healing Tip – February 2023
The "Second Anniversaries" I often hear grieving individuals talk about the difficulty of entering a new year. For the newly bereaved, it is the...

Co-Presidents’ Message – February 2023
I think Rob Delaney has been a sensitive, thoughtful, and influential figure relating to grief and loss since he lost his son a few years ago....

Co-Presidents’ Message – January 2023
2023. For some of you, this is the start of the first new year you’re living with the loss of your loved one. For others, this may be your twentieth...

Healing Tip – January 2023
A new year often comes with resolutions with the goal of doing or being “better.” For 2023, we hope that instead you all resolve to treat...

Parent Column – January 2023
My son His name is Preston Roy Heikkinen “Roy Boy” we lost him July 8, 2021 horrifically. He was the best boy in the whole world. He was the best...

Co-Presidents’ Message – December 2022
Greetings - After a fulfilling Thanksgiving weekend with family and an amazingly impactful #GivingTuesday COPE fundraising drive, I find myself...

Healing Tip – December 2022
I was recently scrolling instagram when I saw a quote from therapist and New York Times best-selling author Nedra Glover Tawwab...

Co-President’s Message – November 2022
From COPE Co-President Jen Schwartz “Time moved in two directions because every step into the future carried a memory of the past…he had accumulated...

At COPE No One Needs To Grieve Alone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o9izucp3K8

Healing Tip of the Month – November 2022
COPE HEALING TIPS FOR HOLIDAYS The end of each year, especially the holiday season, is often difficult for grievers. There is a focus on spending...

Transformational Grief Resources & Support with Adam Rabinovitch, Executive Director of COPE
Adam Rabinovitch is the Executive Director of COPE and he joins me for this episode. Previous to COPE, he was Executive Director of GOAL. This...

Co-Presidents’ Message – October 2022
Seasons exist no matter where in the world you live. Some people, like those who live in South Florida, are usually only aware of a new season...

Healing Tip of the Month – October 2022
Healing Tip of the Month - Janet Zimmerman, LCSW-R This month I’d like to share some strategies for coping with grief that were developed by Donald...

Co-Presidents’ Message – September 2022
[pdf-embedder url="https://copefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/September-Newsletter.pdf" title="September Newsletter"]

Parent Column – September 2022
Bridges from a loss My son Adam took his own life 13 years ago. Adam was a loving, caring soul that always helped whoever he could. Immediately...

College Presidents Pen Admissions Essays
[pdf-embedder url="https://copefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/College-Presidents-Pen-Admissions-Essays.pdf" title="College Presidents Pen...

Co-Presidents’ Message – August 2022
Greetings, I hope this summer brings you the calm, energy, and renewal that you may be seeking (I know I always am). As I often try to sit and...

Healing Tip – August 2022
In my professional education, clinical training, and personal practice of yoga, meditation or even my childbirth experiences, I have learned and...

Co-Presidents’ Message – July 2022
This month will be six years since my family and I lost my older brother, LB. July 3rd is the day he died and July 6th is the day we said our...

Healing Tip of the Month – July 2022
July is Bereaved Parents Awareness month. On the heels of Mental Health Awareness Month, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Memorial Day, it can...

Co-President’s Message – July 2022
A lot of people are wondering if we will ever experience the world the way we did before COVID-19 disrupted it. If I am being honest, I...

The death of a child and the risk of cardiovascular diseases
The death of a child and the risk of cardiovascular diseases I was in the middle of getting my doctorate 14 years ago when my son, Steven, 29, was...

LI News Radio – Non-profit voice with COPE Foundation & Family and Children’s Association
LI News Radio – Non-profit voice with COPE Foundation & Family and Children’s Association

At Pinelawn Memorial Park, an event series aims to help connect families with loved ones
COPE is proud to be featured in Newsday with our partner at Pinelawn (subscription may be required). You can access a digital copy online at:...

Co-Presidents’ Message – June 2022
Greetings COPE community - As the saying goes, hope springs eternal. This isn’t always the easiest sentiment for grieving families to relate to or...

Suggested Reading – June 2022
Click here to read: Your Brain on Grief, Your Heart on Healing “Grief is a heart-wrenchingly painful problem for the brain to solve… to live in the...

Healing Tip – June 2022
Waves in an Ocean of Grief When considering what to write this month I found myself continuing to encounter examples of the constant presence of...

Co-Presidents’ Message – May 2022
I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to say this month. Mother’s Day is like the elephant in the room that couldn’t or shouldn’t be ignored, but I...

Welcome to Jennifer Webb
Jennifer Webb is the newest member of the COPE board and is excited about her new role! Jennifer is a Long Island native and is a career...

Clinical Director’s Message – May 2022
Mental Health Awareness Month: Facilitator Spotlight We were halfway through April when I realized it was no longer March. As for much of the...

Breakdown or Catharsis? Crash or Cleanse?
From COPE Clinical Director Amy Olshever, PhD, LCSW Have you had the experience of making it through your day only to find that you are triggered by...

Lilly Julien, founder and visionary of COPE Foundation
The COPE Foundation was inspired by a dream. In 1992, Lilly's 20-year-old daughter, Michelle, lost her life tragically in a car accident....

Healing Tip – April 2022
Prolonged Grief Disorder The newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V TR) includes a new diagnosis known...

Co-Presidents’ Message – April 2022
“When I die Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street...

Parent Column – April 2022
My mini-me, Elizabeth Raisa Fenton, or Lizzie, as she was affectionately called throughout her childhood, was diagnosed with Stage IV...

Co-Presidents’ Message – March 2022
The night of July 2, 2016, my brother and I were texting about the Mets (like every year, we had high hopes for them). Our conversation came to an...

Healing Tip – March 2022
The Legacies Our Loved Ones Leave Behind Over the past two months, I attended the funerals and shivas for the mothers of two friends. I did not know...

Suggested reading – March 2022
Grief Stole My Love of Reading. Here’s How I Got It Back. I want to tell a story about a love lost and found again. In 2017, I moved across the...

Parent Columns – March 2022
My Daughter Robin My beautiful daughter and best friend left us January 11 four years ago! I miss her very much, especially on special...

Parent Column – February 2022
My precious Eddie. 8/19/78 - 12/11/18 Eddie was an angel, never being angry at anyone for anything. Hit by a car, at 12 years...

Healing Tip – February 2022
Grief and Valentine’s Day I read somewhere recently that in French “I miss you” is “Tu me manques,” which literally translates to “You are missing...

Co-Presidents’ Message – February 2022
The iconic and often-quoted honey-loving Disney bear Winnie the Pooh has been credited as saying “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying...

Suggested listening – February 2022
Check out this podcast on PsychCentral titled "Grieving the Loss of a Child (First Hand Experience)" Episode Description Disney Channel star Cameron...

Suggested reading – February 2022
Check out this piece titled "The Loss of a Child Takes a Physical Toll on the Heart" Grieving parents were at high risk of a heart attack in the...

Lilly’s Inspirational Thoughts – January 2022
The new year comes with the dreaded month of Michelle’s passing. It’s now 30 years since her fatal car accident. Years ago I started a group on FB...

Parent Columns – January 2022
My Daughter Robin My daughter Robin passed away January 11, 2018. She is missed so much by everyone who knew her and whose life...

Co-Presidents’ Message – January 2022
The concept of a new year and new beginnings has almost always been lost on me. I feel the same way about birthdays. I remember when I...

Healing Tip – January 2022
As we enter a new year, exiting one that for many was filled with challenges, disappointments, and many losses, we also look back on the moments we...

Suggested Reading – January 2022
As Covid Deaths Rise, Lingering Grief Gets a New Name Prolonged grief disorder was recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental...

To our COPE Families – end of year appeal
To our COPE families, I am sure that many of you have had your fill of COPE email over the last few days. For all nonprofits, end of year appeals...

Parent Column – December 2021
My Daughter Marissa Leann Gammon-Buckley 05/04/1999 - 12/08/2018 - Reannun Buckley

Lilly’s Inspirational Thoughts – December 2021
My Dream for COPE “I’m okay, Mommy” were words I desperately needed to hear after the sudden and tragic loss of my daughter, Michelle. I...

President’s Message – December 2021
I am now a resident of Colorado. The last thing I did before I left New York was go to the cemetery to say goodbye to my son, Steven, at his...

Healing Tip – December 2021
Gratitude Practice As we move past Thanksgiving into the winter holidays and the new year, this is often a challenging time for grieving...

President’s Message – November 2021
President's Message from Sandra R. Wolkoff, PhD., LCSW-R I am nearing the end of my three years as board president of the COPE Foundation....

Camp Erin NYC Reflection
I lost my dad suddenly in June 2015, when I was a Junior in high school. I was in disbelief. I remember feeling overwhelmingly sad, angry, guilty,...

Healing Tip – November 2021
Reflections on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Planning for National Children’s Grief Awareness Month Grief impacts the entire...

An Interview with Adam Rabinovitch – Executive Director of COPE; Grief To Grow
Adam has dedicated himself to a lifetime of service, prompted by the early passing of his toddler sister when Adam himself was a young boy. Today,...

Supporting Children who have Experienced Grief and Trauma
How are the children doing? Parents and friends alike wonder how families will survive after a death. Join Dr’s Gloria and Heidi Horsley and their...

President’s Message – October 2021
My goal as board president is to assure the sustainability of COPE and support our essential programs and our talented and compassionate staff. I...

Sibling Column – October 2021
From Katharine Heaton The other night I spent a moment with my sister in a dream and it bothered me more than anything. She’d never want me...

Healing Tip – October 2021
Grounding Exercise Bereaved individuals often have “grief-bursts,” or a sudden onset of feelings of sadness or sorrow usually triggered by a...

Telehealth Update – October 2021
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, COPE’s top priority has remained the health and safety of our employees and the responsibility we have to our...

President’s Message – September 2021
We are nearing the end of a difficult summer season. This year, many of us lived through record breaking heat, dangerous storms and floods, and...

Healing Tip of the Month – September 2021
"Identifying and Supporting Your Individual Grieving Style" It has become a commonly accepted idea that there exists a number of different...

Vice President’s Message – August 2021
“However you survived is brilliant.” I always liked this sentiment. We’re all survivors of one thing or another. As a father who...

President’s Message – May 2021
May brings Mother’s Day so I googled “who started Mother’s Day” and learned that a woman, Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, started...

“How Long Does Grief Last?” with Mark Henricks
Please join us online Tuesday April 27th at 6 pm Eastern for a special workshop “How Long Does Grief Last?” with Mark Henricks Presented in...

Parent Column – April 2021
From Karen and Jim Hom Brian Hom As we reflect on the loss of our son, Brian James Hom we cannot seem to grasp the reality that time...

COPE Welcomes our Board Member Jen Schwartz
Jen Schwartz graduated Long Island University at CW Post in 2007 with a Master's Degree in School and Mental Health Counseling and holds a...

Lilly’s Inspirational Thoughts – March 2021
I recently came across a grief exercise I did many years ago which helped me trust in my intuition and its potential to guide me. The...

Lilly’s Inspirational Thoughts – April 2021
My thoughts go out to all of you during the Passover and Easter holidays. Wishing everyone peace and continued good health. Lilly ...

President’s Message – April 2021
I am writing this while listening to the morning news, not on Long Island, but in Denver, Colorado, about thirty minutes south of Boulder. While the...

Healing Tip of the Month – April 2021
Thanks to COPE Facilitator Marilyn Kohn LMSW for this month's healing tip. March 11th 2020 was the beginning of a most difficult year when...

Thank you Sandy!
Thank you for very much your incredibly generous gift to COPE in the amount of $10,000 received today in connection with the design and...

President’s Message – March 2021
Welcome to March! The vernal equinox is on the 20th, which marks the beginning of spring and by the 21st, the days get longer. Ok, maybe by a few...

Healing Tip – February 2021
Thanks to COPE's facilitator Diane McNamara, LCSW-R for this month's Healing Tip Riding the roller coaster of grief The grieving...

Lilly’s Inspirational Thoughts – February 2021
For many of us February is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, a day celebrating love. Love is the other side of grief. It’s because we love so deeply...