The Bobby Tripodi Foundation Inc

“Christi Tripodi, a member of the Board of Directors is the wife of Mark Tripodi, Executive Director. Tom Futey and Kathy Futey, members of the Board of Directors, are husband and wife.”

“Form 990 is reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors, Finance and Executive Committee prior to submission.”

“All Board members are required to disclose conflicts of interest as they arise.”

“The Board of Directors approves the compensation to the Executive Director.”

“The Organization makes its governing documents, conflicts of interest policy, and financial statements available upon request and on another website.”

“SUPPORT GROUPS - Our support groups consist of weekly, monthly and specialty support groups as follows Weekly Support Groups Phase 1 Phase one of the support groups is a closed 10-week educational and interactive program that is led by a licensed clinician or qualified professional. In this phase, telling your personal story, sharing your loved ones life, and expressing any feelings to the group is encouraged. These groups are separated by age of the participant and by type of loss. We offer the following support groups by type of loss suicide, murder, accidental overdose, military, young widows, loss of spouse, loss of adult child, neo-natal or early infant loss, loss of child, and traumatic death. We continually offer more specific groups based upon the needs of the community. Monthly Support Groups Phase 2 Phase two of the support group process is a professionally led monthly support group where new members meet for an ongoing period of time, based on their needs. Usual topics are dealing with upcoming holidays or special anniversary dates, coping with getting back to work, loneliness, or the stress of raising a family. We have also added a family workshop series that uses creative and expressive arts to effectively process their grief and memorialize their loved one. Specialty Groups Weekly/Phase 2 Movie support group, bible study groups, photo therapy groups and other weekly series grief support groups are offered quarterly to allow participants to experience other methods and learning styles to be able to cope with their grief. Participants need to have completed a phase one group prior to joining a phase 2 group. As with most of our groups, phase two groups utilize the expressive arts as interventions. Social Support Groups Phase 3 Phase three is a social monthly group that is peer led. By this stage we really are encouraging our group members to find purpose and meaning in their new and changed life. Guest speakers are common, and a more casual setting is the mood. We also encourage those who are interested to consider giving back to Cornerstone of Hope to help other families through the process. In all phases, individuals receive empathy from others who have suffered similar life changing events. The group members form new and lasting friendships as they are now accepted for the person they are now, not who they used to be. In addition to groups, Cornerstone of Hope offers individual grief counseling with a Masters prepared clinician. For clients experiencing a traumatic loss, EMDR is the modality of choice. EMDR is a proven intervention that re-trains the brain to process trauma with much less negative side effects, and enables clients to then begin the grief process. Cornerstone of Hope offers several memorial programs throughout the year. In June, we have a Butterfly release program where participants release a butterfly in honor of their loved one. October 15th is National Infant Loss day, and we commemorate the babies by lighting a candle in their memory. In December we have our Christmas Candle Lighting program, where we honor our loved ones with a memorial program, and a candle with our loved ones photo on it. Cornerstone of Hope responds to crisis calls in businesses and schools when there is a death in the community. Our trained responders provide hope and support in the most tragic of circumstances. Lastly, we have several educational programs each month, providing continuing education credits to licensed professionals social workers, counselors, nurses, funeral directors, etc.. Grief related topics are presented for professionals in the community.”

“CAMPS Cornerstone offers several camps for grieving children and teens, as follows Camp Erin Camp Erin is a free weekend camp for grieving children and teens ages 8-17. The goal of the camp is to provide our bereaved youth the opportunity to cultivate new friendships with peers who are struggling with a similar journey in life and life after the death of a loved one. The campers learn positive coping skills and how to use their unique strengths to ultimately transform their pain into a life of purpose. Camp Cornerstone Camp Cornerstone is a free day camp for grieving children and teens ages 6 -14. Sometimes grieving children feel like they are so alone in their grief, that is, until they gather with their peers who are also grieving. Camp Cornerstone provides a balance of social activity, memory building, education and reflection on their grief experience so that positive decision making can be made in the future when the stress of grief can be overwhelming. Camp Heroes Camp Heroes is a free day camp for grieving children and teens ages 8-17 who live in the inner city of Cleveland. This group is intended for children to bond with their peers in their neighborhoods so they have trusted and healthy friends to cope with their grief. This particular camp also includes various team building activities so that the youth learn positive coping skills. We teach them the importance of expressing their emotions and negative impact of drugs, violence, and gangs. Camp Memory Camp Memory is a day camp held at Cornerstone of Hope in Columbus, Ohio, for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The camp takes place over the course of three days and is specifically designed for children who are between the ages of 6 and 13 years old. Camp Memory utilizes a variety of therapeutic play, art, and writing activities that help children share their grief experiences in fun and creative ways.”

“Individual Art Therapy One-hour art therapy sessions are for children, teenagers, and adults where they are encouraged to express their grief using art and expressive therapy while being guided by our professional staff. Each client has an alternate access to unleash the feelings of helplessness and pain that they may not have been able to verbalize. Each client also has artistic proof of progress. Individual Counseling Cornerstone offers individual and family consultations. The purpose of these sessions is to offer a listening ear to intimate detail surrounding the death, guide them through various expressive therapies, and gain a detailed assessment to determine the best plan of action for each and every individual or family. School-crisis Intervention / Continual Care Cornerstone responds to calls from Cuyahoga county schools when a death of a student, teacher, or staff member occurs. The team works with school administrators to implement critical action steps such as assessing at risk students, classroom interventions, and debriefing. Aftercare includes individual consultation, support groups, and classroom workshops to support students in gaining understanding and healing while grieving. Special Activities / Events Journaling classes create a safe environment for individuals to share memories, gain clarity, and help facilitate their personal journey of grief. Guest Speakers tell their stories. Participants listen to personal witnesses of hope while gaining purpose and meaning into your own life after experiencing the death of a loved one. Memorial events such as the Christmas Candlelight Ceremony honor our loved ones during the holiday season and springtime butterfly release to remember those who have died. Scrapbooking create a lasting memory of a loved one to pass on through family generations. Pampering day, for women only, is an annual event where grieving women are taken care of for a change nails, hair, exercise, massage, and more, all free, all day event. Monthly Family Workshops / Social Outings where families are given a reason to smile again at our annual hayride, Christmas Ornament Workshop, Easter Pancake Breakfast, and other scheduled events that give grieving families an opportunity to experience joy again. Referrals Cornerstones mission is to not provide long-term clinical counseling for more complicated situations. In the event that an individual needs more specialized care, Cornerstone will offer referrals so the individual can receive the appropriate attention. Bible Study Support Group after our clients attend an 8-week support group, those who want to learn more about the Holy Bible and utilize scripture to make sense of their suffering attend this support group series. Cornerstone of Hope was founded upon Christian principles and offers optional Christian programming to those who desire this type of program. Photo Therapy Support Group After our clients attend an 8-week support group, we invite those who are interested to attend a secondary phase II group. This group continues to focus on the emotions of grief, positive coping skills education and encouragement to transform your life after a devastating loss by a unique intervention-photography. Participants are able to utilize their creativity to help them process their grief and provide meaning for their forever changed life. Cinema Therapy Support Group After our clients attend an 8-week support group, we invite those who are interested to attend a secondary phase II group. This group continues to focus on coping skills, education, and encouragement to transform your life after a devastating loss by a unique intervention - the movies. Participants watch full length feature films that have a grief focus, process in a group setting after the movie, share their perspectives and insights about the characters and how they relate to their real life situation. Resource Center This is a combination of a lending library, gift shop, and creative idea section”