Solace Tree

Butterfly Wishes Gala

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Butterfly Wishes 2015 March 12, 2015 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Silver Legacy Resort Casino 407 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89502 The National Association of Catering and Events (NACE) presents the second annual Butterfly Wishes Gala, in partnership with, and benefiting The Solace Tree. Going on 11 years in northern Nevada, Solace Tree provides … Read more

Solace Tree Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Butterfly Wishes

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The Solace Tree is celebrating 10 years of providing service to the community with a special event, Butterfly Wishes, co-hosted by the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), at The Grove (95 Foothill Road), on Thursday, March 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The evening will include a live auction of art created by Solace Tree children and teens, entertainment by the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra and others, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and live music. Tickets are $75 a person and can be purchased online.

Guests will be treated to signature cocktails: Butterfly Kisses (vodka, St. Germaine, fresh blackberries, cranberry & lime juice) and the Garden Party (vodka, fresh herbs, lavender syrup, citrus Juice, soda /water), as well as a menu of epicurean delights created by The Grove Executive Chef Shakka Moore. The menu includes:
•    Trio of duck – smoked duck breast, duck confit & duck bacon
•    Grilled watermelon, crumbled feta, basil & balsamic reduction
•    Fig, goat cheese, prosciutto cigarillo, port-pomegranate reduction
•    Much more will be featured, along with some surprise epicurean delights

“It is in line with the core values of the NACE organization to give back and support local charities, so when we were connected with the Solace Tree it was a great fit for both of us,” says Kate Patay, CPCE, of the Reno-Tahoe NACE Chapter. “Putting on a celebration of this magnitude is what we do best!”

“Our goal is to provide children, teens, and adults an opportunity to express, acknowledge, normalize and integrate their grief experience,” explained Solace

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Businesses & Individuals Donate to Art for Solace

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Reno, NV (November 25, 2013) – Special thanks to the sponsors, donors and attendees of the Solace Tree’s Art for Solace, held November 21 at the Reno Little Theater. They include Picasso Sponsors: Digiprint, Port of Subs, Bonanza Casino, Walton’s Funerals & Cremations, Photographer Becky Papa and Jax Marketing. Monet Sponsors: Creative Coverings, Steamboat Hot … Read more

The Solace Tree Shares Tips for Dealing with Loss During the Holidays

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Reno, NV (November 26, 2013) – The holiday season can be especially difficult for individuals and families who are grieving the loss of a loved one. “There is no right or wrong way to grieve,” shares Emilio Parga, Executive Director of the solace Tree. “Some have said that not having their loved one with them during the holidays has intensified their pain, others have talked about the joy that has been experienced through continuing traditions that were special to the loved one that they have lost.”

Solace Tree children and teens, along with their parents, have shared some guidelines that have made it easier to get through the holidays without their loved one. These are only suggestions, and may or may not be appropriate for your distinguishing circumstance.

  • Talk about your grief as a family and don’t be afraid to talk about the person who has died. Share your thoughts, feelings and memories with people you trust.
  • Invite children in the family to help make choices or decisions about what to do or not to do during the upcoming holidays.
  • Be prepared for all types of reactions. Each individual grieves at their own pace.
  • Children and adolescents need time to grieve. Allow them space, either alone or with support.
  • Keep the spirit alive for young children. It will play a role in their future beliefs about the holiday season.
  • Do things that are simple, such as only decorating one room instead of the whole house.
  • Shop online or through catalogs for gifts.
  • Be honest with your feelings. Try keeping a journal. Write a letter to

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The Solace Tree Presents: “A Different Way to Grieve” A Journal and Activities for Middle-School Kids by Middle-School Kids

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The Solace Tree has published its latest book, “A Different Way to Grieve,” to help middle-school students cope with the death of a loved one. The journal and activity book, which was written by Allyson Siwajian and Terri Vann, along with middle-school students who have lost loved ones of their own, sells for $11.95. “This … Read more

Helping Children and Teens Cope with the Death of A Loved One

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 Helping Children and Teens Cope with the Death of One Loved 

  1. Be aware of what you yourself are feeling; have some safe ways of expressing your feelings with children and teens away from them.
  1. Provide ample time and a comfortable physical space to listen.
  1. Respect whatever unique ways children and teens express their feelings; know that their expression is likely to be intense, brief, and repeated.
  1. Listen, be present and listen more.
  1. Arrange some physical methods for children to express their feelings.  Examples: clay, paints, journaling, tearing of old magazines, blocks, etc.
  1. Do not overload children with information; answer only the questions they ask.  Be patient when they repeatedly ask the same question(s).
  1. Offer appropriate choices for decision-making.  Death may bring feelings of losing control.
  1. Answer children’s question(s) with simplicity and honesty. “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer.  Describe death and dying in literal items.
  1. Remember that young children will generalize and associate about important people and emotions.  Example: if a sibling died in the hospital, then hospitals are likely to hold certain fears.
  1. Know that a child will grieve cyclically – at each new developmental level he or she will relive their loss as they continue to integrate the loss into their life at new stages.
  1.  Observe that a child grieves as part of a family, and the entire family structure has shifted.  This may mean a change in roles and an additionalloss to their grief.
  1.  Respect, encourage, and honor a child’s and teens feelings, whether they are fear, sadness, guilt, anger or love.  These are natural feelings that help the

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Talking about 9/11

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Suggestions for teachers, parents and adults when talking to children about September 11th.

Adapted from Donna A. Gaffney, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN

How do we begin the conversation with students who are so young that they only have knowledge of 2001 from parents and older siblings or friends? The following suggestions may help in beginning the conversation.

Language: Be consistent in how you refer to September 11, 2001

  • September 11th or September 11, 2001
  • 9/11, (pronounced nine-eleven) the numeric shorthand that has forever labeled this day in our history.
  • If possible, show younger students a calendar
  • 9-1-1: Do not use this way of referring to September 11. And correct those who may be using this term

Saying 9-1-1 is confusing, 911 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan

Geographic Considerations

  • Remember this is not just a New York, Washington or Pennsylvania event
  • Students in the metropolitan areas surrounding these cities may be much more savvy about using certain words (9/11, terrorism, etc) but they still may not have full comprehension of their meanings.

Maturity

  • Remember that as a student matures he or she may have a different understanding and new questions about September 11, 2001.
  • Twelve years is a long time in a student’s life. A child who was barely five years old will be at a completely different developmental stage at 16.
  • As children cognitively mature, they are able to comprehend much more information.
  • Adolescents are able to perform abstract reasoning
  • A child or teen may experience feelings of their younger selves on that day, i.e. a 16-year-old remembers the feelings of that day as a 5-year-old.
  • Be prepared

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