Annie’s Hope – Programs & Services for Grieving Children, Teens and Families

Annie’s Hope – Programs & Services for Grieving Children, Teens and Families offers Family Support Groups, School Support & Education, Summer Camps, Teen Retreats, Horizons – Anticipatory Grief Support, social events, a Hope & Healing Gathering, a Speakers Institute, a Grief Referral Service, a Community Resource Library, Volunteer Training, Family Support Group Facilitator Training, and school support groups. In the 8-week Family Support Groups, children, teens, and their parents or guardians gather with other grieving families, and the groups are divided into age-level groups for children and teens while adults meet in their own groups. Common topics in these Family Support Groups include coping skills, feelings, memories, change, communication skills, and grief rituals, and pizza or sandwiches are provided before meetings. Teen Retreats are overnight weekend gatherings of 10 to 12 teenagers and are described as safe, non-threatening, supportive, and non-judgmental.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: 8-week Family Support Groups with evening sessions and overnight weekend Teen Retreats
• Price: There is no fee to attend 8-week Family Support Groups. The full value of attending eight-week family support groups is $1,040 per child/teen/adult. Families are asked to make a donation to the best of their ability – $10, $100, $1,040. All donations are gratefully accepted, no matter how small or large. No family is turned away because they are unable to make a donation.

Annie’s Hope states its mission as providing comprehensive support services for children, teens and their families who are grieving a death. Annie’s Hope notes 28 years of service. The Family Support Group Coordinator is Shannon Givens. Application forms for each child, teenager, or adult who wishes to attend Family Support Groups must be completed and returned to Annie’s Hope. School support groups are for students grieving the death of someone significant and have no limitations regarding the length of time since the death, the cause of death, the relationship to the deceased, or the number of death experiences. Annie’s Hope is supported in part by grants and contributions from organizations including Hallmark Stone Company, Jefferson Foundation, Mid-America Transplant Foundation, Veterans United Foundation, YouthBridge Foundation, Cardinals Care, Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation, Saigh Foundation, St. Louis Philanthropic Organization, Baue Funerals, Crematory, Cemetery, Great Southern Bank, Schrader Funeral Home & Crematory, Blattel & Associates, Accent Group Solutions, Villa Lighting Supply, Hero Plaza Advisory Group, Safety National, City Rent a Truck, and Rottler Pest Solutions. A testimonial from Alexia, age 8 and grieving her brother’s death by drug overdose, states, “I feel included when I come to my Annie’s Hope group.”

Last updated January 10, 2026.