FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Buzzy’s Bees, and what is its mission?
Answer: Buzzy’s Bees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families who have experienced the sudden, unexpected loss of a young child. Our mission is to normalize grief as a natural human experience by providing families with community, programs, and resources, while offering the general public opportunities to bear witness to grief in order to change a culture traditionally rooted in silence and solitude.
2. What specific types of child loss does Buzzy’s Bees support?
Answer: Buzzy’s Bees specifically serves families navigating the sudden and unexpected loss of a young child, spanning from stillbirth up to 12 years old.
This criteria encompasses tragic and unforeseen losses, including but not limited to:
- Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC)
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Accidents, drownings, or unexpected trauma
- Acute, sudden-onset medical emergencies or illnesses
- Stillbirth
Why this specific focus? Sudden loss carries a unique trajectory of profound shock, trauma, and disorientation. Because there is no prior diagnosis or period of anticipation, families are thrust overnight into acute grief without emotional scaffolding or financial preparation for end-of-life costs. Our programs—ranging from immediate financial relief to long-term creative memory-making—are intentionally tailored to address the jarring, disruptive reality of unexpected bereavement. While we honor all forms of grief, our specific grant funding and operational frameworks are dedicated to supporting families meeting these criteria across the United States.
3. Does Buzzy's Bees provide financial assistance to grieving families?
Answer: Yes. The financial burdens following the unexpected loss of a child can be sudden and astronomical. Each year, Buzzy’s Bees awards financial gifts to mourning families across the United States to help ease the unexpected expenses associated with funerals, burials, cremations, or other immediate needs.
Learn more about financial gifts here: https://buzzysbees.org/about-financial-gifts/
4. What is the "Give Grief a Voice" project?
Answer: Launched in 2019, the Give Grief a Voice (GGaV) project is an emotional support program offered by Buzzy’s Bees. We pair grieving families with a professional writer and a professional artist to collaboratively capture the essence of their child’s life. A beautifully written narrative and a unique, custom piece of artwork are gifted to the family. This gives parents a sense of permanence and an artistic platform to comfortably share memories and talk about their child.
Learn more about the Give Grief a Voice project here: https://buzzysbees.org/give-grief-a-voice-project/
5. What is the "Give Grief a Voice" Public Gallery Tour, and how can I see it?
Answer: The Public Gallery Tour is a traveling art exhibition designed to move child loss out of isolation and into the community.
- The Concept: The tour features high-quality reproductions of the custom artwork and moving story excerpts created for our families through the Give Grief a Voice project.
- The Purpose: By bringing these intimate stories into public spaces, the tour invites viewers to bear witness to the reality of child loss. It aims to eliminate the cultural stigma, loneliness, and silence surrounding grief, offering insight into what bereaved parents truly need from the people around them.
- Where to See It: Funded by donations from individuals as well as grants from organizations like the Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Satterberg Foundation, the exhibit moves across public libraries, community spaces, and medical hubs (such as EvergreenHealth Medical Center and the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health).
- Virtual Tour: For those unable to visit a physical venue, we host an interactive 3D virtual walkthrough on our website that allows anyone in the world to browse the artwork and read the accompanied story excerpts.
Learn more about the Public Gallery Tour here: https://buzzysbees.org/give-grief-a-voice-project/traveling-art-show/
6. What is "The Healing Shelf"?
Answer: The Healing Shelf is an ongoing book review and curation series featured on our blog. It is dedicated to exploring and highlighting books that speak honestly to the realities, weight, and complexity of grief. This series exists to honor stories that do not rush sorrow or try to “solve” it, providing comfort and a quiet space for readers navigating their own grief journeys.
See what books are on The Healing Shelf here: https://buzzysbees.org/healing-shelf/
7. What text-based support does Buzzy’s Bees offer?
Answer: To ensure immediate, clinically sound, and compassionate outreach, we partner with Help Texts to offer complimentary subscriptions for grieving families. Subscribers receive expert-written, tailored support text messages straight to their phones twice a week, alongside extra messages on particularly difficult days like birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.
Find out more about Help Texts here: https://buzzysbees.org/help-texts/
8. Are donations to Buzzy’s Bees tax-deductible?
Answer: Yes. Buzzy’s Bees is an officially recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 100% of your financial donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. You can make a one-time or recurring donation.
More information about donations is available here: https://buzzysbees.org/donate-now/
9. How can I support Buzzy’s Bees if I haven't experienced a loss but want to help?
Answer: We are a small, volunteer-driven organization, meaning your support makes a direct, tangible impact! In addition to or instead of a financial donation, please spread awareness of our mission, or attend our public art tours and fundraisers.
10. What kind of events does the organization host?
Answer: Buzzy’s Bees has historically hosted multiple events throughout the year, including 10 years of an annual fundraising golf tournament, which directly fueled our family gift funds. Thanks to grant funding, we also host public “Give Grief a Voice” gallery tours—traveling art exhibits featuring reproductions of the artwork and stories created for our families, allowing the broader community to engage with and normalize grief.
11. Where can I find additional resources on how to support a grieving friend?
Answer: Our website features a “Resources” page, as well as a “Resources” dropdown on the menu bar above.
We have an extensive blog with a variety of links and educational posts (such as “What to Say, What Not to Say” and “Resources for Grieving Families“) to provide more support, news, and updates. Explore our blog here: https://buzzysbees.org/news/
Links to other blogs, podcasts, and trusted peer support and bereavement organizations (like the Dougy Center, Eluna, and The TEARS Foundation) that that provide services such as grief support and funeral cost assistance, may be found on our “Related Orgs” page: https://buzzysbees.org/related-orgs/.