This is just an update to let you know that the paver orders for 2019 are complete. You can see your paver at the Wings of Hope site during regular cemetery hours (sunrise-sunset). If you are interested in ordering a paver, please see our order page. Pavers are engraved once a year on site by local stone artist Tom Miller.

All proceeds from the pavers go to help support the mission of Wings of Hope and provide services to local families.

These are just a few of the pavers at the site.

This first image is a throwback to November of 2015, when a spray-painted line and foundation for the central statue were the only hints of change to come. Since that time, Wings of Hope has been blessed by the generosity of community members. We have been able to grow from those stark white lines to the beautiful walkway, carving, benches, and surrounding trees and flowers. 
More than that, though, we have been able to keep growing in community awareness and involvement. But we still have so far to go. 

• We still have just under $3000 left to pay on the work that has already been done.
• We are working on plans for providing care packages to mothers who have to endure pregnancy loss.
• We have to continue to engage the community and bring awareness, support and light to this often unspoken tragedy that strikes 1 in 4.

Please consider helping us in these goals!

• Donate directly to the cause. Every donation is greatly appreciated!
• Order a paver. This is a lasting legacy and show of support.
• Give us your input into the care packages.
• Participate in our fundraisers. Have an idea or opportunity for us? Let us know!
• Let us know how we can keep sharing the mission of Wings of Hope. Our committee members are available to speak with groups, we have brochures we can provide, and are looking for community partners.

Have you visited the Wings of Hope site yet? When you go, you'll see pavers that honor the life of a child. You'll see pavers given in memory of family members. You'll see pavers engraved with messages of support. And you will also see many more pavers that are yet to be engraved.

The Paver Project
We need your help to fill these pavers with messages and names. The Paver Project is our summer push to get as many pavers engraved as possible by fall. Doing so does two very important things:

• Builds a community of support to grieving parents in Southern MN and acknowledges their losses.
• Provides essential funds so that Wings of Hope can continue to provide services to these families.

Our Challenge to You
Get as many people together as possible to help get these pavers engraved! Below are just a few ways to join the Paver Project this summer.

• 4 friends each chip in $25 and order a paver to support a friend who has lost a child
• A family gathers funds to order a paver with their family name - a lasting legacy of compassion
• A group of co-workers gathers donations to give a paver order to a family who has lost a child

We want to hear from you! How can you help get these pavers engraved? 

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.

Last night when I stopped by the Wings of Hope memorial site to check on the new fence, I was met with a bittersweet surprise. The first of the pavers had been engraved, and among them were my own and those of my family. As I circled the walkway, reading the names, sentiments, and remembrances, the tears fell as I was struck with a mix of emotions.

Names of babies loved and lost. Some lost decades ago and some achingly recently. Words of comfort from community members. Yet these words on the pavers are more than just carvings in stone. They are steps in healing for women, for families, and for a community as we come together to find a way to support each other in pregnancy loss. They are reminders that we are not alone, and that the lives of our babies lost in pregnancy are still cherished.

- Chris O., Wings of Hope Chair

[NOTES: There are more pavers completed than pictured, and there are still pavers to be engraved. If you would like to know if your paver has been engraved, please send me a note with the description of the paver - I have pictures of all completed pavers. We will update you here when all of the orders have been engraved. There are also still pavers available for engraving. All proceeds go to pay for the central monument, which we hope to have installed next week, and for the costs related to Wings of Hope services.]