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.

We are once again getting ready to participate in the fall craft fair to be held at the Madison East Center in Mankato on Saturday, November 18th.

These birdhouses were handcrafted by Elmer Binsfeld of Big Stone, SD, and will be available for sale at our booth. Elmer has been a woodworker for decades, and his home woodworking shop boasts years of dedication to - and love for - his craft.

One of our local supporters was browsing in his shop - looking for something to purchase and donate to us for the sale. As Elmer helped her choose one, he asked why she was purchasing it. She told him of Wings of Hope and he insisted that she take two more as his personal donation. We love hearing how people connect with the mission of Wings of Hope and are willing to support our group! 

This is an important fundraiser for us as we strive to complete payment on the memorial site and raise funds to supply care packages to parents enduring pregnancy loss. We need your help to do these things!

• Please consider making a donation to the sale. We would love everything from baked goods to crafts! Email us if you are able to donate. [email protected] We can take crafts at any time and can make arrangements for baked goods the day before the sale.
• Please come and shop at our booth! We already have the wren houses, other gift packages, and so many other items! Please share this post so others can see the fun items we are going to have on hand.

We'll keep sharing images of items we have for the sale so you can start making those holiday shopping lists! Also check out our Rainbow Baby Gear we will have available. Thank you for your continued support!

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]

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.

We can't go back and undo the loss. As much as we pray, beg, and plead, we can't change the road we traveled when we heard those words - "There is no heartbeat". But we can make a difference for all of the families who we know will unfortunately be the 1 in 4 who endure the loss of a child in pregnancy - and Wings of Hope needs your help!
Unfortunately, we too often hear of stories from moms and dads who said they wish they would have known... The information often comes too late, if at all, for what to expect and how to do things such as collect the remains of your child, arrange for the remains to go to the mortuary if chosen, collect keepsake information of your child, and more.
We are in the preliminary stages of putting together care packages for these families, hopefully to be distributed by medical staff, midwives, and caregivers. Examples of items we are considering adding to these packages include:

• A hat for over the toilet - used to help collect remains especially during early miscarriages
• Sanitary pads - moms who are expecting a child are not expecting to need these items for many more months
• Chux pads for moms who prefer to lie down during the miscarriage process and deliver while lying down
• A container for remains - families who want to keep the remains after delivering at home (before 20 weeks) need a moisture-proof container for transport to the mortuary
• Rubber gloves to assist in the process and collect remains
• A soft cloth for swaddling the remains
• Items for collecting keepsake information, including a tape measure and camera
• A detailed list of things such as how to contact Mankato Mortuary for families who want to participate in the common burial for losses before 20 weeks
• A list of books and resources for families

What in this list would have helped you?
Every situation is different, and not all moms will have remains, want to consider this option, or feel comfortable doing things such as take measurements. What we want to do is let moms know that they can if they want to take these steps. We don't want to keep hearing stories of I wish I would have known... 
Please help us by sharing what you wish you would have known... what resources you wish were available in a do-over.
We can't turn back the clocks on our own losses, but we can help make sure that the next mom who endures this loss has the tools and resources she needs.
Comment here on our blog, on Facebook, or email us at [email protected]

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? 

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.
​

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.
​
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)