If you would like to help us sustain the memories of children who have passed away by promoting stories by and about them, there are important ways that you can contribute.
1. Point Us to Stories that You Know
Please help us find stories concerning children who have passed away:
Stories BY Lost Children – stories, books, poems, letters, and other works created by children before they passed away. One of the many tragic aspects of losing a child is the loss of that child’s voice (literally and figuratively), and the Foundation is one place where many beautiful young voices can still be heard – in the writing and other works that the children created before they died.
Stories ABOUT Lost Children – stories, books, poems, letters, and other works created by family members & friends that feature insights regarding the children – their personalities, interests, and experiences. We believe that there is no better way to keep memories of the children alive and to introduce these children to people who hadn’t known them before.
If you have information on a story BY or ABOUT a child who has passed away, please let us know.
CLICK HERE to Refer Stories BY and ABOUT Lost Children
2. Tell Us about Tributes to Lost Children
Tributes to lost children are activities undertaken to honor children who have passed away, to celebrate their lives, and to sustain their memories. One of the Foundation’s primary interests is to disseminate information about tributes in order extend their reach and broaden their impact. If you let us know about tributes that you participate in or otherwise discover, we will spread the word.
Facebook Community Page – The easiest way to share information about activities to honor children who have passed away is to create a post on the Tributes to Lost Children Community Page that the Foundation sponsors on Facebook. This can be an original post or can be a share of content created elsewhere. Posting to this Community Page is a great – and easy! – way to spread the word more broadly about the wonderful tribute activities that occur – from planting a garden to awarding a scholarship. Many posts that appear on this Community Page will also be featured in an e-newsletter called the Tributes Digest™ that is emailed to subscribers every two weeks.
Tributes Survey – You can also share information on tributes – in a more structured way – by responding to the online questionnaire called the Tributes Survey. Initial responses to this survey formed the basis of the recently published book, Tributes to Lost Children (Mebane, 2016), and it is continuing to be used to build a cumulative knowledgebase of tribute information, with new information appearing in periodic updates. Click HERE to navigate to the Tributes Survey and add your tribute stories to the formal tributes knowledge archive.
3. Contribute Gifts to the Foundation
If you’re so inclined, you can also help Starshine Galaxy Foundation by contributing financially.
The Foundation’s efforts to date have been a labor of love and have relied principally on the passion and commitment of members of the organization’s founding family. With this hands-on focus, we have not actively sought or solicited contributions from others during these start-up years. Nonetheless, we are grateful to many friends and neighbors who contributed to all of our early accomplishments, including the EMMMA Scholarship and various memorial events.
As things now stand, the Foundation has big ideas & aspirations and, to extend its reach, we warmly welcome private contributions. Our biggest current priority is to enhance information & story sharing within the bereaved community – especially with this website, the new Tributes Digest, and the Tributes to Lost Children Community Page on Facebook – and we are very grateful for your support.
Checks should be made out to “Starshine Galaxy Foundation NFP” and mailed to:
Starshine Galaxy Foundation NFP
1400 Sherwood Lane
Geneva, Illinois 60134
If you join our donor list, your name (or the name that you designate) will be shown in perpetuity as a supporter of Starshine Galaxy Foundation NFP.
Note: We will promptly provide a receipt evidencing your gift, be we cannot make any representations regarding tax implications of the contribution. Please consult your accountant or tax attorney for definitive counsel.