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Mustaches for Kidds to support children’s grief healing programs in Sussex

Halloween costume party set Oct. 25
October 7, 2016

After seven successful years of fundraising with facial hair in Wilmington, Mustaches for Kidds Delaware is "growing" into Sussex County to raise vital funds and awareness for Supporting Kidds, a subsidiary of Children and Families First.

When Rich Hartnett, vice president of commercial real estate for M&T Bank, was presented with the opportunity to help support this new initiative in Sussex County, he readily agreed. "There are countless wonderful organizations that help those in need, but what spoke to me immediately was the focus on children who obviously struggle to advocate for themselves," said Hartnett.

"We are so grateful to M&T Bank. Beginning in the Spring of 2017, Supporting Kidds will offer the Healing Pathways programs in Sussex County for the first time," said Laura Rimmer, development coordinator for Children and Families First.

Supporting Kidds is a grief counseling program specifically for children and their families to cope with the loss of a loved one. Founded in 1989 as a volunteer organization, it was one of the first children's grief centers in the country. Recognizing that newly bereaved families are faced with many challenging questions, like how to share information with the children, whether or not to include children in the funeral or memorial services, how to explain and normalize grief to a child; all while recognizing the loss is impacting many other aspects of the families' life, Supporting Kidds offers consultation, therapy and group services as guidance through the grief and bereavement process.

The New Castle based organization has counseled over 4,200 grieving children, provided grief education workshops to 5,000 community members; developed and distributed 1,500 Survival Kits to schools; and responded to over 1,300 requests for emergency telephone support. But one location is simply not enough, and a commitment was made to offer services in all three Delaware counties by the end of 2017. 

Hartnett and Rimmer hosted a Mustaches for Kidds Sussex fundraiser kick-off happy hour Oct. 4 at the Greene Turtle in Lewes. Participants who join the campaign will enjoy a Stache-Bash Halloween Costume party Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Greene Turtle, where the final tallies of monies raised will be shared and celebrated. While the fundraiser was originally launched as a mustache growing campaign, Rimmer makes clear, everyone can get involved.

"The real goal here is to engage Sussex County in our mission. Grief is an uncomfortable subject as everyone has at one point struggled with the loss of someone close to them. We are using this goofy format to lighten the message, and serve as a reminder that discomfort and struggle, especially in children, isn't always visible like growing a mustache and explaining it to your peers and colleagues could be. But it is there and we can help," says Rimmer.

All of the monies raised through the 2016 Mustaches for Kidds Sussex fundraiser will go directly to the Sussex County Healing Pathways program. "This is a great networking opportunity in addition to being a worthy fundraiser," said Hartnett, "I really encourage all men who have ever struggled with the loss of a loved one consider how difficult that must be for a child, and make a commitment to join us."

For more information or to register for the Mustaches for Kidds fundraiser, go to www.m4kde.org, www.supportingkidds.org and www.cffde.org.

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