Jen Burgard and Kayla Sorum, co-founders of Hopeful Heart Project, plan to highlight the work they are doing at Giving Hearts Day at 1 Million Cups Fargo on February 12th from 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Please note that 1 Million Cups has changed its usual location to NDSU Barry Hall in the Mezzanine level.
About Jen and Kayla
Jen Burgard and Kayla Sorum, co-founders of Hopeful Heart Project, take on different roles within the organization. Jen is the program director and Kayla is the operations director. Jen attended college at North Dakota State University and Kayla attended Arizona State University and North Dakota State University. Even though working with a friend can be fun one thing they have to ensure to do before every event is confirm their wardrobe choices, so they don’t show up wearing the same thing! Jen said, “It happens all the time, somehow even when we both buy new things to wear.”
About Hopeful Heart Project
Hopeful Heart Project is a non-profit organization that “ensures no parent walks the path alone in grief after child and pregnancy loss.” The organization came about when Jen and Kayla, two grieving moms, were connected through a mutual friend. Jen said, “After a 4-hour coffee date, we finally found another person who really understood the many aspects of child loss. We talked about all of the things we wish had been different for ourselves, our children, and then the parents that would inevitably follow us.” They thought there had to be a way to provide more support and they were going to be the ones to do it! They started with the idea of providing packages to moms immediately following their losses and it quickly grew from there.
Jen explained, “Our services begin in the hospital providing bereavement photography and doula services and following up with a Hope Gift which includes items we and other parents have found helpful in the early days spent at home healing without their child. Eventually, those parents need to go back out into their community again, and HHP is there hosting events they can attend with other parents who understand their journey. These healing events include workshops, classes, yoga, outdoor excursions, and an annual remembrance event in October. Healing retreats have also recently been added to our services. These take place twice per year for mothers and once per year for fathers. It is also very important for parents to be able to celebrate and talk about the child(ren) they have lost. We offer services to help in planning for these special events parents hold. These have varied, but include anything from softball games, golf tournaments, workout classes, concerts, art showings, etc.” They also listen to service requests they receive so if you have one, reach out to them!
Event Details
Giving Hearts Day at 1 Million Cups Fargo takes place on February 12 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Again, the location of 1 Million Cups has changed to NDSU Barry Hall in the Mezzanine level.
Jen and Kayla plan to share the work they are doing and its importance at 1 Million Cups. They think it’s important to speak at events like 1 Million Cups because it provides an opportunity for the community to give feedback and learn about businesses. If you want to learn more about Hopeful Heart Project, visit their website. To keep up with what they’re doing, like their Facebook and Instagram. They are also located in the Prairie Den in Fargo, ND!
