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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 20, 2008 - 5 Bereaved Families needs support to stay afloat By John Stewart SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Instead of making plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary this summer, the Halton-Peel Chapter of Bereaved Families of Ontario is trying to avoid planning its wake. The organization, which facilitates support groups for people whose children or spouses have died, is facing the stark reality that it might have to close the doors to its office in Mississauga by the end of March. In an "urgent message" in its members' newsletter, the local chapter says, "Unless we get new volunteers and can fundraise $100,000 before March 15, we will have to close our doors. This will be our last appeal for help and support." In an interview at the group's offices, Richard Sheppard, chair of the board of directors, said there are not enough resources left within the organization to meet the demands of 200 phone calls per month and organizing 16 grief counselling groups per year. Sheppard, vice-president of sales at Bell Canada, said there are only three of the six board positions filled at the moment. The staff has been reduced to two part-time people. The executive director's position is vacant. "Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization, but our volunteers have dwindled," said the Mississauga resident, who joined the group after his wife died. "We have a core group of about 40 people, but they're tired." The organization gets no public funding, although it has received grants in the past from Peel United Way and the "Nobody wants to talk about this because it's just unspeakable, but the truth is that Bereaved Families of Ontario has helped us get through the darkest days of our lives." Cara Doyle, bereaved mother Town of Oakville, and has recently applied to the Ontario Trillium Corporation. But with its small staff and weak volunteer base, demonstrating the long-term sustainability that funders are seeking is difficult. Sheppard, who's the acting executive director, has reached into his own pocket to ensure salary obligations are met. An annual walk, golf tour- nament and the Loving Memory Tree event at Mississauga's City Hall have drawn more people in recent years, but made less money. "Part of the problem is that we're dealing with a negative," said Sheppard, father of two daughters. "Our positive is helping people deal with things when the inevitable happens, but people don't want to recognize the inevitable." Cara Doyle joined the group after tragedy struck her family. "Losing my five-month-old son felt like the world had ended," said Doyle, who called the Halton-Peel group in desperation. 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