Logan Lazarus is the grandson of Ellen, one of our longtime volunteers and a former remarkable mom, and he nominated Tu Nidito for a funding opportunity from his high school. While Tu Nidito was not chosen for the grant, Logan’s speech was very moving, and we very much appreciate his kind words and effort.
“Hi everyone! I’m Logan Lazarus and I’m very happy to be here. The charity I chose is called Tu Nidito – an incredible organization based here in Tucson.
My grandma has been volunteering with this charity for many years and has even been given one of Tu Nidito’s highest honors – the remarkable mom award. What this organization does is extremely special, very unique, and fulfills a true need here in our community – helping ensure that anyone who is suffering or grieving is not alone.
When my grandmother was only 10 years old, she lost her father very suddenly to a heart attack. This traumatic event really affected her and took a huge toll on her and her family, especially because she was so young. Years later my grandma also lost her husband very suddenly – my grandpa who I never met and am named after. My mother was still in college and his death impacted the whole family in such a major way.
Tu Nidito has helped hundreds of families with their mission: That no child grieves alone. The grieving process is extremely difficult to overcome in any situation, but even harder when it’s sudden or traumatic. Tu Nidito provides a nest – a support system to help families during these unimaginable times. With amazing people on hand to help and programs designed to guide everyone through the grieving process, Tu Nudito is a safe, loving place where children, teens, young adults, and families can find comfort, hope, and support while they are grieving the diagnosis of a serious medical condition or the death of a loved one.
Thanks to my Grandma I already knew how much this organization extremely benefits children in our community, but I visited Tu Nidito earlier this week wanting to learn more about this great organization. And my visit was truly impactful as I learned even more about how they help people who are suffering or grieving.
At Tu Nidito, they offer various programs to help every person deal with grief in the way that’s right for them. Programs are twice a week and are usually organized by age, with multiple volunteers assigned per group. When I visited I got to see all the amenities they offer and amazing features that Tu Nidito has. The building has many different rooms designed for all ages and tailored for different things depending on the person in need. For each program, the time is separated into two halves – some play time and some time to talk and connect with the children.
Most times, it is hard for little children to comprehend the death of a loved one and even harder for them to communicate what they’re feeling. So Tu Nudito created a room specifically for children ranging from 3-7 years old. In this room, Tu Nidito provides games and toys for the children to just have a safe space to relax and even play out their grief. Volunteers may use books and characters from a story to help children understand and process their feelings.
The middle room is for children ages 8-12 who spend time in the Talking Circle. This room also has an evening curriculum focusing on teaching new skills for coping and gaining a better understanding of the thoughts and emotions these kids are experiencing.
There is also a Teen room for kids ages 13-18. Teens have specific needs and these programs help grieving teenagers form friendships with others who are going through something similar. Tu Nudito helps provide these teens with a sense of safety and acceptance during what can be an isolating experience for an adolescent.
Tu Nidito also has other special rooms used for specific programs such as the Volcano Room, Imagination Room, and Art Room. The Volcano Room is very helpful for the children because when emotions build up and need to erupt, kids can spend time in the Volcano Room to blow off steam. In some situations, their special person has been murdered or has committed suicide and that can be extremely hard for anyone to overcome. The Volcano room allows the kids through physical movement and activity, to release complex feelings like anger, stress, frustration, and anxiety.
In the Imagination room and the Art Room, kids grieve more through behavior than words. Children can continue to process what they are feeling through imaginative play, drawing, or dressing up while knowing it is okay to still be a kid and have hope for their future. They can play out their grief in creative, therapeutic ways and know that Tu Nidito is a safe place.
Tu Nidito provides a truly unique service to Southern Arizona and their organization is extremely impactful for all the children who need a safe nest where they can openly grieve and express their emotions. Like any non-profit, they have a variety of needs, but all the money raised would directly support their ability to keep the rooms, equipment, volunteers and facilities at Tu Nidito going and growing so they can help more families and children. Tu Nidito runs 100 percent off of donations so this would help them in a major way.
Tu Nidito is such an amazing charity with such an impact on the families going through the most difficult times imaginable. You should vote for this incredible organization because its impact on children and families going through the most unimaginable times is so great. Through peer-to-peer interaction, guided discussion and age appropriate activities, families find comfort, hope, and support so that no child has to grieve alone.”
