WHEREAS, the Highmark Caring Foundation, begun in 1985 to respond to the needs of uninsured children, initiated the Caring Program for Children, the first program of its kind in the country. During the years that the Caring Program became the model for PA’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, a group of nurses working with young cancer patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh looked for programs to help the siblings, children who had experienced the death of a brother or sister, or of a father or mother as well, and found no programs for those children; and,
WHEREAS, in 1996, with the support from Pittsburgh community organizations and leadership from community professionals such as then-Councilman Bob O’Connor, the Pittsburgh Center for Grieving Children was formed. Meeting in a school building until a state-of-the-art facility was created and dedicated in downtown Pittsburgh in the spring of 1996, The Caring Place relied on best practices of other grieving centers across the nation. The Caring Place makes a statement by its very presence: “Children matter and the grief of children matters;” and,
WHEREAS, through continued support from Highmark and the community, The Caring Place has grown to include a second facility in Erie, a third Caring Place in Lemoyne, outside of Harrisburg and a fourth site in the northern Pittsburgh suburb of Cranberry; and,
WHEREAS, the larger mission of the Highmark Caring Place is to raise awareness in the community of the needs of grieving children and how to respond to them. The Caring Place offers peer support groups, referral services, telephone support and educational programs and resources for schools and professionals who work with children. The Highmark Caring Place will celebrate their 20th Anniversary with an event featuring live entertainment and cocktails on Wednesday, October 20th at the Highmark Caring Place in downtown Pittsburgh; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize and commend the Highmark Caring Place for its compassionate mission to help grieving children and adolescents and their families and congratulates them on their 20th Anniversary; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Wednesday, October 25, 2017, to be “Highmark Caring Place Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.