Hope Grows nurtures
its message of love
and support to the
caregiver community
and beyond.
A
year after the death of her father, Lisa Story remembers
needing to heal herself. “While I was not my dad’s
sole caregiver, I was very involved in the activities
surrounding his daily life. After his passing, it took a heavy toll,
and I found I needed to heal and reconnect with myself,”
she says.
Working through this process, Story was able to combine
her love of nature and the outdoors with her work as a
Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Thanatologist
to create Hope Grows, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
empowering caregivers to seek wellness of mind, body,
and spirit.
Thanatology is the study of death and dying and the
psychological mechanisms of dealing with them. “It’s our
mission to be the organization caregivers trust and turn to,
to receive personalized assistance, therapeutic services and
resources at any point in their journey regardless of their
financial status,” explains Story.
Started in 2013, Hope Grows is located in Moon Township.
Story and her family designed and created healing and
restorative gardens, now totaling seven, specifically for
mindfulness, holistic therapy.
“Caregivers can walk through the gardens, either alone
or with a counseling professional, tell their story, take short
breaks and participate in counseling and support as necessary,”
she says. “This helps create a path to maintain a positive and
healthy quality of life.”
The organization offers support services as part of its
mission to care for caregivers. The services can range from
regular phone calls and emails to individual or family
counseling, support groups, education and training for
caregivers, grief and bereavement help, and stress management.
“We’re also hoping to open a facility called Hope Respite
House, where current and past caregivers can engage in an
overnight wellness, respite-style bed and breakfast,” adds Story.
“The building will accommodate the caregiver by providing a
place of refuge and restorative care.”
In addition to the gardens, Hope Grows offers recurring and
annual events to support its many programs.
“May 13 is our 4th Annual Hope Grows Tee Time Golf
Classic,” says Story. “This event has been a hit since it started,
with more and more sponsors embracing our mission through
a fun day of golf. We also have our Victorian Tea on May 19,
now it its sixth year. It’s an afternoon of camaraderie, art,
music, raffles and more.” This year’s theme is “Abundantly
Connected” and both events are held at the Montour Heights
Country Club.
On July 17, Hope Grows will hold “Uncorked and
Skewered,” a Hawaiian luau-themed garden open house and
fundraiser including a pig roast. It runs from 4 to 7:30 p.m.,
at 183 Shafer Road in Moon Township. It’s open for anyone
to attend and there are sponsorship opportunities for food
vendors, Chinese auction basket donations, events, caregiver
programming and turkey dinners for caregivers during the
holiday season. October 9 will be the “Celebrating You”
event, a day of fun and relaxation for family caregivers.
In 2018, Hope Grows gave help and support to more than
350 caregivers and their families.
“Our staff and volunteers show no limits when it comes to
supporting our mission,” says Story. “It’s a true testament to
their wonderful spirit.” In honor of that spirit and the spirit of
caregivers, Hope Grows has started a movement to designate
the blue bearded iris as a symbol for the caregiver.
“The Hope Grows Iris Movement is a perfect way to
raise awareness of caregiver issues while championing
caregiver needs,” explains Story. “The blue bearded iris flower
symbolizes care and implies a message and promise of hope,
and the three petals symbolize faith, valor, and wisdom—
making it the perfect embodiment of caregiver qualities.
To help further our movement, Hope Grows makes the iris
symbol available in the shop on products like notecards, pins
and decals.”
Hope Grows defines caregiver as anyone providing unpaid
care to dependent children, spouses, parents, siblings,
Continued on next page >
Lisa Story is the founder of Hope
Grows, located in Moon Township.
WEST ALLEGHENY
❘
SUMMER 2019
15