​As our committee continues to plan for the Evening of Remembrance on May 9th at 6:00 pm and meet with the pastor who will lead, we carry all of you who will be attending in our hearts and thoughts.

We understand that you might have questions about what to expect from the Evening of Remembrance, especially if you are a family who will be burying or honoring a child. The following are some of the details you might be wondering about - but might not know how to ask. Please let us know if you have any other questions. 

• On Thursday the 9th a Wings of Hope committee member will meet with a representative from Mankato Mortuary and Terry Miller of Calvary to witness the remains being placed in the burial vault. The vault will be sealed before being taken to the Wings of Hope memorial site.
• A volunteer from the community sews burial blankets which wrap each baby's remains individually.
• The grave will be prepared and the burial vault will be placed at the Wings of Hope memorial site before the ceremony. 
• There is limited seating available at the site. You are also welcome to bring your own lawn chairs or stand for the duration.
• The event will happen rain or shine, so please plan for the weather. In case of significant inclement weather we will move the service into the cemetery chapel (located near the Wings of Hope memorial site). 
• Pastor Darren from Hosanna Highland Church in Mankato will lead the ecumenical service. He is planning a heartfelt message of compassion, love, and hope.
• Not all families have remains for burial, which is why all families who have experienced pregnancy loss and newborn death will be invited during the service to place flowers at the burial vault in recognition of all children who have been lost. 
• The Wings of Hope committee provides fresh cut flowers. You are also welcome to bring your own if preferred.
• After the closing song you are all invited to stay at the site for light refreshments. Some families also take this time to take pictures at the memorial site to include in their own personal albums and family history records.
• After the ceremony, Terry will bury the vault at the perimeter of the paved walkway. A flat grave marker will be placed at a later date at this location with the month and year of the service.

It is our mission as a committee to be able to provide you, the families who have lost children, with a comforting and compassionate service. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
[email protected]
507-519-0658

Even though the skies were grey to start the day, the clouds parted and we were blessed with a beautiful evening for our Evening of Remembrance! We want to extend a special Thank You to Pastor Dave Laughlin for leading us through the service with a heartfelt, genuine, and comforting message; a special Thank You also goes to our musicians for the evening - Kevin and Lorrie Torbenson. Their talents and voices helped provide the perfect setting.
We hope those who came found what they needed, experienced a message of hope, and will consider sharing more about Wings of Hope with others.

I didn't know how much I needed this.
It was the first time I felt I was able to say good-bye.
We hear the words "you are not alone", but tonight I actually felt like it. Surrounded by my own community of people.
These are just some of the words we have heard from people who have attended our Evenings of Remembrance. Join us on Tuesday, October 3rd, as we join together once again as a community of parents, family members, and friends - all touched by the heartache of pregnancy or newborn loss.
Here are the details:

• Tuesday, October 3rd at 6:00 pm
• Wings of Hope memorial site in Calvary Cemetery (behind the chapel and main office building)
• An ecumenical service - Pastor Dave from New Creation will be our faith leader
• Music and poem readings
• An opportunity to place flowers at the memorial site in memory of your child (we provide cut flowers but you may also bring your own)
• An opportunity to light a candle at the end of the service, in recognition of the National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month (October) - bring your own candle or use one of ours
• Limited seating at the site (you may also stand or bring your own lawn chair)
• Light refreshments and fellowship following the service
• In the event of rain, we will move inside to the chapel.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the service. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this Evening of Remembrance and living reminder of hope.

Please join us for our next Evening of Remembrance, to be held at the Wings of Hope memorial site on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. The service will begin at 6:00 pm and include music, prayers, a time for reflection, and an opportunity for families to place flowers at the memorial site in remembrance of their children. Flowers will be provided, but you are also welcome to bring your own.
Please let us know if you have any questions. 
[email protected]

Ready to show your support for Wings of Hope? Order your own embroidered shirt today! The soft grey t-shirt has our logo embroidered on the front in purple, and is available in adult sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL. 

All proceeds from the shirt orders go towards expenses for Wings of Hope, which include just under $3000 left to pay on the existing site. We would love to be able to complete this payment by fall, before our next Evening of Remembrance, and we need your help. After we complete our payment on the site, we are ready to move forward with additional projects in the community, including fundraising for Cuddle Cots for local hospitals, support kits for moms who experience pregnancy loss, and more!

Print, complete, and mail your order form to Julie (our committee member), at the address provided. The $20 fee includes shipping to your home address.
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Thank you to everyone who helped make the Evening of Remembrance possible, and to everyone who attended. Pastor Mike delivered a comforting message, and musicians Pam and Amy provided beautiful songs of remembrance for the evening.
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We also want to thank everyone who came and shared their personal grief journeys with us. We are forever touched by your stories, your presence, and the love you have for your child.

As our committee continues to plan for the Evening of Remembrance on May 11th at 6:00 pm and meet with the pastor who will lead, the musicians, and members of the community who are assisting, we carry all of you who will be attending in our hearts and thoughts.
We understand that you might have questions about what to expect from the Evening of Remembrance, especially if you are a family who will be burying or honoring a child. The following are some of the details you might be wondering about - but might not know how to ask. Please let us know if you have any other questions. 

• On Thursday the 11th a Wings of Hope committee member will meet with a representative from Mankato Mortuary and Terry Miller of Calvary to witness the remains being placed in the burial vault. The vault will be sealed before being taken to the Wings of Hope memorial site.
  
• A volunteer from the community sews burial blankets which cover each baby's remains individually.
• The grave will be prepared and the burial vault will be placed at the Wings of Hope memorial site before the ceremony. 
• There is limited seating available at the site. You are also welcome to bring your own lawn chairs or stand for the duration.
• In case of inclement weather we will move the service into the cemetery chapel (located near the Wings of Hope memorial site). 
• Pastor Michael Omtvedt from Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mankato will lead the ecumenical service. He is planning a heartfelt message of compassion, love, and hope.
• Vocalist Amy Kuch, accompanied by guitarist Pam Schultze, will provide music for the evening. Some of the songs they have selected include Hear Our Prayer, Blessings, and Jesus Loves Me.
  
• Not all families have remains for burial, which is why all families who have experienced pregnancy loss and newborn death will be invited during the service to place flowers at the burial vault in recognition of all children who have been lost. 
  
• Flowers for the service are generously being provided by Hilltop Florist and Greenhouse. You are also welcome to bring your own if preferred.
  
• After the closing song you are all invited to stay at the site for light refreshments. Some families also take this time to take pictures at the memorial site to include in their own personal albums and family history records.
• After all families have gone, Terry will bury the vault at the perimeter of the paved walkway. A flat grave marker will be placed at a later date at this location with the month and year of the service.
  

It is our mission as a committee to be able to provide you, the families who have lost children, with a comforting and compassionate service. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
[email protected]
507-519-0158 (ask for Chris - Wings of Hope Chair)

As we get ready for another Evening of Remembrance and a second Design & Wine fundraiser, we want to take this time to thank everyone for the continued support of Wings of Hope. We have come so far since those painted outlines on the grass and dreams on the dry erase board in our committee meeting.

We still have much to do - and more goals to reach. This includes approximately $3000 to finish paying for the memorial, the annual costs for engraved markers with the month and year of the common burial (with one marker between two burial plots), monthly expenses for printing brochures and other materials, expenses associated with each Evening of Remembrance, candlelight vigil, and other events, and goals and projects to further the mission of Wings of Hope. These include things like donations of Cuddle Cots to the local hospitals - so families can have as much time saying hello to their little ones before they have to say a final good-bye. 
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How can you help Wings of Hope?
There are several ways you can help us meet our needs and reach our goals.

• Join our committee. We usually meet once a month (more if we are having a special event) for about an hour. You do not need to have experienced a loss to share your talents and compassion with the group!
• Volunteer. We cannot do what we do without volunteers.
  • We have a woman who sews burial blankets for our common burial services. Each tiny baby lost in miscarriage is buried in one of these special blankets.
  • We rely on local pastors and musicians to participate in our burial services and other events.
  • Businesses donate items such as flowers for the Evening of Remembrance. Have a business or know someone who does who might be able to help? Let us know!
  • A volunteer makes our Rainbow Baby Gear to help us share some hope while honoring the lives of little ones.
• Order an engraved paver. The proceeds from each paver help pay for expenses, but they also are tangible pieces of evidence that show love and support for families.
• Attend a fundraiser. We recently announced a second Design & Wine fundraising event - and would love to see as many people possible join us for this evening of fun and painting adventure! 
• Tell others about Wings of Hope. This is the kind of organization that no one hopes to need - but when faced with the loss of a child - needs this kind of hope and resources. Share on Facebook. Follow our blog. Tell your sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, neighbors, and co-workers about Wings of Hope.
• Donate. Every dollar really does help. 

We continue to be humbled by the support from the community of Southern MN. From the constant support of Calvary Cemetery and Terry Miller, the caretaker, to Mankato Mortuary and the essential services they provide, to the artistic talents and efforts of Tom Miller to bring our dreams for the Wings of Hope monument to reality, to the families and businesses who have donated time, money, and goods - we thank you.

We are continuing to plan our next Evening of Remembrance, and want to share more of the details with you. Pastor Michael Omtvedt, from Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mankato, will be leading our service for the evening. The service is ecumenical – and will include music, prayers, special readings, and reflection. Musicians for the service will be vocalist Amy Kuch and guitarist Pam Schultze.

• Thursday, May 11th
• 6:00 pm
• Wings of Hope memorial site in Calvary Cemetery, Mankato

As we did in our first Evening of Remembrance, we will also be inviting all families who have been touched by pregnancy loss and newborn death to place a flower at the burial urn (we will provide flowers, but you may also bring your own if you would like).

We will have limited seating available at the site. You are free to bring your own lawn chairs or stand for the service (we anticipate approximately 30 minutes). Following the service we invite you to join us for light refreshments at the site.