House of Hope Center offers support for grieving families
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers HEALING PROCESS- Allie Lai, 11, sings "Blessed" by Rachel Lampa at the House of Hope Grief and Loss Center in Agoura Hills during a reception before the official ribbon cutting on Friday evening. The House of Hope's mission is to "provide families in the Conejo Valley a safe environment where children, teens and their families grieving a death can embrace and share their grief and begin the healing process."

Grief is inevitable when a family member dies, but for children the overwhelming sadness, helplessness and fear they experience when a parent or sibling dies can shade their lives for years to come, according to experts.

The Universal Love Foundation opened the House of Hope Center for Grief and Loss in Agoura Hills and offers a unique program for young children who've suffered the loss of a parent or sibling.

The nonprofit group provides free support groups for toddlers through teens and their families to help with healing.

At the grand opening of the center on Oct. 11, founder and President Manzar Amini spoke about why the Universal Love Foundation was formed and how the need for a grief center in the Conejo Valley has grown.

"Universal Love Foundation was formed over seven years ago to assist and empower single parents who find themselves in seemingly hopeless situations," Amini said. The foundation provides scholarships, legal referrals, group therapy, counseling services and low-cost or free medical referrals as well as temporary financial support for struggling single parents, she said.

"Loss is a part of the human experience that affects all of us at some point in our lives," Amini said.

"The loss could be the death of a parent or primary caregiver or a sibling. Dealing with a loss of a loved one is difficult at any age, but loss at an early age could have a negative lifechanging effect if not dealt with properly."

The House of Hope is the first center to work with toddlers, Amini said. Play therapy and talking to youngsters help work through the emotional pain they are feeling over the loss of a family member.

"I think what happens is that people think they shouldn't mention the person who passed," said Roubina Coleman, a spokesperson for House of Hope. "If mom was always the one who tucked you in, who else could do it?" she said about some of the little things that worry youngsters when a family member dies.

Coleman said counseling sessions encourage talking about the person who died and the things that each member of the family enjoyed doing with that person.

Westlake Village Mayor Sue McSweeney is an honoree on the foundation's board of directors and was invited to cut the ribbon for the grand opening. She said Amini has demonstrated an "amazing ability" to overcome struggles in her own life and is always thinking about "giving to other people."

The House of Hope is affiliated with Children's Hospital, California State University Northridge, California Lutheran University and other college programs and business schools to help women get a new lease on life.

All services and peer support groups are free of charge, Coleman said. All support groups are led by volunteer facilitators trained and certified by Children's Hospital staff child specialists. Support groups meet weekly on Mondays at 6 p.m.

The Universal Love Foundation will host its annual luncheon fundraiser on Dec. 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Two Dole Drive in Westlake Village. At last year's fundraiser, McSweeney proclaimed Dec. 2 as "Universal Love Foundation Day."

The House of Hope Center for Grief and Loss is at 28720 Canwood St., Ste. 104, in Agoura Hills.

For information on attending a session, volunteering or contributing financially to the center, call (805) 231-3618 or visit www .universallovefoundation.org.