The Anne Arundel County Chapter hosts an Annual Memory Walk to remember all of the children who died too soon but still walk in the hearts of our families and friends. Next year’s Walk is tentatively scheduled for Saturday morning, October 4, 2008, at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. The primary purpose of the Walk is to provide an opportunity members and friends to join together for a two-mile walk through the woods and fields of the park. It is a time of talk and memories of our children and of our grief journey.

The Anne Arundel County Chapter of The Bereaved Parents of the USA is dedicated to assisting parents, grandparents, siblings, and aunts and uncles, toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child, and to providing information and education to the community to help others be supportive. All of our members have lost one or more children. Our vision is that everyone who needs us will find us and everyone who finds us will be helped.

We gather monthly to listen, to care, and to understand the process of grieving, as we heal and start our recovery. Our greatest strength as bereaved families is the unity we find in shared experiences that leads us out of isolation, gives us a place to “belong” and gives us hope that, together, we can make it. These meetings are attended on average by 30+ newly-bereaved and non-newly-bereaved parents each month.

There are no membership fees, dues, or other charges, and all bereaved family members are welcome. We depend on donations from bereaved parents and the community to fund our program. There are no paid staff; all of the work of our chapter is performed by volunteers. All contributions are devoted totally to the expenses of our programs and activities.