Our financial gifts program is the cornerstone of Buzzy’s Bees, marking the beginning of our journey 8 years ago. Founder, Amanda Drews, along with many others, experienced the profound shock and unpreparedness that comes with losing a child—an event so overwhelming that few can navigate it without the love and support of their community.
Program Mission
In today’s challenging economic climate, with rising costs and the everyday demands of raising children, parents are often unprepared for the devastating loss of a child. Setting aside money to survive and honor a child’s passing is a luxury many simply cannot afford. Recognizing the immense financial burden that accompanies such a loss, our financial gifts program was created to help ease that burden for families starting this heartbreaking journey.
The astronomical costs that arise after losing a child often extend far beyond the funeral or memorial service. Our gifts have been used to cover day-to-day expenses like rent, groceries, and utilities, as well as costs directly related to their loss, such as therapy, medical bills, an urn, a headstone, or a final resting place for their child. For families with no financial safety net, our program offers vital support during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
The demand for our financial gifts program has grown exponentially. Over the past 8 years, we’ve seen a significant increase in the demand for our financial gifts program — from only 2 applications in our first 2 years to now having received 129 in the most recent 2 years. In 2023, we received over 90 applications for assistance and were able to support 23 of those families, with an average gift of $480. This year, in 2024, we are on track to provide more financial assistance than ever before, with a focus on offering larger gifts to meet the rising costs of living. By the end of this year, we aim to give $12,500 in financial gifts and hope to increase that amount in 2025.
Application Process
Our process begins with a family filling out an application on our website, which asks why they need financial assistance and how the funds will be used. We also request a secondary contact, understanding how difficult it is to function after such a loss. Applications are often submitted on behalf of the family by social workers, relatives, or friends. We ask for a death certificate or an official obituary to confirm the child’s passing. If a family doesn’t yet have these documents, as many of our applications come in with a recent passing of a child, we will work directly with the funeral home to obtain them. We treat these sensitive documents with the utmost respect and confidentiality and are only documented for administrative purposes.
Once we have the application and necessary documentation, our financial gifts committee meets to review the information. Each committee member privately assesses/reviews the application against a rubric to avoid bias. This rubric evaluates how closely the application aligns with our mission, including the child’s age and the unexpected nature of the death. While we occasionally receive applications that fall outside the demographics we serve, we make every effort to connect these applicants with other resources that may better meet their needs.
The committee then discusses the application and determines the amount to be given. We then confirm with the family and mail out the check. We are typically able to get a check out the door and into the bereaved parent’s hands within just a few weeks.
Testimonials
At the start of 2024, after volunteering for 3 years, Alex stepped into the role of Financial Gifts Program Director. She has worked in various aspects of Buzzy’s Bees programs, but this is her first time leading an established program. When asked what her experience working in this program has been she said, “It has helped me stay present in my own grief and find solace in knowing I am easing the burden for others. I began volunteering with Buzzy’s Bees to honor my son, and through this role, I hope to bring comfort and care to other families who are just beginning their grief journey. I understand the deep impact of shock and grief on a family, and how essential our support can be. I am honored I can provide that to families who have just experienced the loss of their child.”
Applicants are often in deep shock and grief when they reach out to us. Hearing their stories is humbling, and we are grateful to know that we have helped others navigate this painful journey. We would like to share a few stories from several families who have been through our financial gifts program:
“We lost our sweet angel on June 3rd of last year, And I can’t even explain how broken we are and will forever be, losing a child is something no parent ever wants to feel and the pain inside is so unbearable, you feel lost alone, every emotion you can think of it hits you, I sat for hrs/days on what I’m going to to for this angel how are we gonna afford it what do we want and what does this sweet angel deserve, I came across this project ( Buzzy’s Bees) and I was so grateful that there is help like this out here, I got to pay back my son’s payment plan for his funeral. I appreciate it so much & I thank the lord everyday for coming to us when we needed it.”
Cheyenne B., mother of beautiful Easten-King Ikaika Maikaikane
Financial Gift Family 2023
“First and foremost I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing me for this financial assistance. When she told me about it I instantly burst into tears. Life has been so difficult and to be honest it’s been really strange for lack of a better word. I never in my life thought that I would lose my perfectly happy, healthy and loving baby boy. I wasn’t in the best place in life before I had gotten pregnant and my son 100% saved my life. I loved being a mother and he brought so much joy to me and my family’s lives. With him being gone now I just try to live every day in honor of him and do what I can to make it through and pray that somehow, some way I’m making him proud. I’m sorry for writing you a book, I’m just still in complete shock that you and your organization chose to help me. This is something that I will never forget as long as I live and I pray that someday I’ll be in a better situation to help others like me that have lost a child. I so badly wanted to open an organization such as yours in honor of Carter and I will continue to fight to be able to make that happen someday and to also be able to pay forward your kindness and help during this difficult time for me. Thank you again, this is something I will never ever forget.”
Danielle H., mother of Carter
Financial Gift Family 2024
“When tragedy happened and life took everything away from us, there was just a huge cloud of sadness and pain, it hurt so much that we couldn’t get back to our home for several weeks, the pain was just so unbearable that nothing made any sense at all, let alone trying to organize a funeral and a service that we were never supposed to organize. I remember asking my sisters to make the decisions because I simply couldn’t. We moved out of the country within a couple of months, when grief was at its worst, me and my wife tried to get help from wherever we could, podcasts, exercise, therapy, books, grief groups, you name it! We were just trying to survive, stay alive, keep the memory of our son alive, keep him alive, feel him, we were just grasping for a bit of his scent in anything that we could find. As time went on and guilt crept in, I kept blaming myself for not being able to prepare his funeral. I could not even pull the energy or courage to have someone build a gravestone with my son’s name. The fact that there was a grave with no name kept hunting me for several months.
When I reached out to Buzzy Bees – after hearing from them on one of the podcasts – they had the right words for me at the right time, they were willing to help me get the funds for the gravestone and within a couple of months we were able to set a beautiful stone with his name, Sergio. I will always be thankful for that present, a gift of love to me, to my wife and to my little boy. In times when life is that cruel when all you see is darkness, Buzzy Bee’s was the shine of light that helped us take a little step forward and reminded us that there is beauty in this world. ”
Daniel C., father of Sergio
Financial Gift Family 2023
Our Financial Gifts program relies entirely on the time and money raised by our supporters. We are deeply grateful to our donors, volunteers, and everyone who helps us grow this program each year. If you are moved to make a donation to help fund our financial gifts program, please visit our donation page. Our organization is powered by the love and dedication of our team; we do not have any full-time paid employees. Every dollar goes back to helping families who have unexpectedly lost a child. Thank you for your support!