Highlights from the 2025 Circle of Hope Breakfast
On May 8, our community gathered at the 2025 Circle of Hope Breakfast to reflect, reconnect, and reaffirm a shared commitment: ensuring that no child, teen, or family has to grieve alone.
Throughout the morning, we heard powerful stories that brought our mission to life—stories of remembrance, resilience, and the impact of making space for grief.
“Every child deserves a space to grieve.”
TCR’s Executive Director Jon Gay opened the morning with a powerful reminder: The need for grief support hasn’t changed, and The Children’s Room continues to meet it through grief peer support programs, provided free of charge at our Arlington center and in schools and community centers across eastern Massachusetts.
This year alone, we’re supporting more than 400 children and teens and hundreds of parents and caregivers.
Bringing Grief Support Into Schools
Lowell High School social worker Gina Martel shared how TCR’s school-based groups offer a safe, compassionate space for students who might otherwise carry their grief alone. With support from TCR staff, her school community is becoming a more grief-sensitive place where students feel seen and heard.
Sofia’s Story
The heart of the morning came from Sofia Ensing, a TCR alum and now a 4th-grade teacher. After losing her father as a young child, Sofia found comfort, connection, and community at The Children’s Room. She participated first as a child, in a Family-Based Group with her mother, and then as a teen, when she returned to participate independently in Teens-Only Groups.
“I sat with people who understood each week,” she shared. “Each week, I shared stories about my papa—and in doing so, brought his memories back to life.”
Years later, she helped bring TCR’s grief support into her school community, ensuring that her students had the space to feel less alone.
Stories That Stay
Guests also viewed a short video featuring students from our school-based grief group at Salem High School—a moving reminder of what happens when we make space for grief and community.
Celebrating Our Biggest Breakfast Yet
This year’s event brought together over 400 guests—our largest breakfast to date.
Together, we raised more than $500,000, helping to ensure that no child, teen, or family is left without support. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we also met our $100,000 matching gift challenge.
We are deeply grateful to our matching gift donors: Jill and David Adler, Rich and Lisa Greene, the Arthur and Linda Gelb Foundation, the Ilene Beal Foundation, the Margaret Stewart Lindsay Foundation, and a small group of anonymous donors for making this milestone possible.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, supported us, and continues to stand beside our children, teens, and families. Your presence and generosity help us build a more compassionate, grief-informed community—one story at a time.
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There’s still time to support this work.
Please consider making a one-time donation or pledge in support of this year’s event to help us reach even more children and teens who are grieving.
