Volunteer Peer Mentors Give Their Hearts to TAPS Mission
Author: TAPS
More than 1,100 strong, our compassionate Peer Mentors continue to give their hearts and volunteer their time to TAPS, recognizing how much their own Peer Mentors supported them during their early days of grief — and paying it forward.
As one survivor shared, her relationship with her Peer Mentor has been invaluable during her grief journey:
“I was matched with my mentor just five weeks after my son’s death. It was so powerful to be able to connect with another mother who could understand what I was experiencing. My Peer Mentor has been a great listener and a source of great support, understanding and encouragement. By text, on the phone, or in person over coffee, I could always share feelings or concerns. … Two years later, we have moved beyond our mentor and mentee relationship. We have become friends.”
Providing one-on-one support to the newly bereaved or helping at seminars, care groups, or other events, Peer Mentors often find that providing companionship to others contributes to their own growth and healing.
More than 400 survivors signed on to be Peer Mentors and completed training in 2019. This year, Peer Mentors hosted more than 560 care groups in approximately 50 locations across the country, supported 200 TAPS Togethers, and volunteered nearly 15,000 hours of their time.
Almost 100 survivors participated in an advanced training course so they can do even more to support our survivors and “remember the love, celebrate the life, and share the journey.”
One Peer Mentor who attended advanced training said, “Thank you so much for the invite and the wonderful, educational and inspiring weekend. In true TAPS fashion, I came away from the weekend a better person and further empowered to help others. Send me some more mentees — I’m ready!”
As we head into 2020, we are forever grateful for the dedication and love of our Peer Mentors. If you are 18 months past your own loss and ready to give back, visit our Peer Mentor page.