Lost & Found Grief Center

01/10/2026

Lost & Found’s Evening of Hope gala is just three weeks away. 💙🧡

This event is the cornerstone of our annual fundraising efforts and supports our mission to provide help, hope, and healing to grieving individuals throughout our community.

Each year, we hear stories of hope as part of the evening. Last year, Anna Larriu shared her experience of navigating grief at just 17 years old. Today, Anna is a ripple of hope. She serves as president of Lost & Found’s Junior Board and continues to encourage others in their grief journeys.

Thank you, Anna. 💙🧡

Interested in attending or making a donation for Evening of Hope?
Learn more at https://lostandfoundozarks.com/eveningofhope/

01/09/2026

As many of you are finishing taking down holiday decorations, we wanted to share photos of a special tree that was displayed at Mercy Hospital this season.

We’re honored to have been part of this beautiful and meaningful display and to stand alongside families, donors, and partners who help bring hope and healing to others. 💙🧡

This tree was decorated in partnership with Mid-America Transplant, Lost & Found Grief Center, and Mercy Hospital. Each ornament on the tree represented a donor who gave the incredible gift of life through organ donation.

💚💙

01/08/2026

🧡💙 Scholarship Applications Are Now Open 💙🧡

Each year, Lost & Found Grief Center awards the James Craig Carr Memorial Scholarship to a former grief group participant continuing their education.

Last year’s recipient, Izzy, first came to Lost & Found after the death of her brother, Daniel. What began with hesitation became a space where she learned she wasn’t alone—and a place where she could honor her brother’s memory.

Now a freshman at Missouri State University, Izzy’s story is a powerful reminder of how grief support can shape a future.

🧡💙 Applications for the 2026–2027 scholarship are now open.
👉 Read Izzy’s story and learn how to apply on our blog.
https://lostandfoundozarks.com/james-craig-carr-memorial-scholarship/
🗓 Deadline: March 16, 2026


Community Foundation of the Ozarks

James Craig Carr Memorial ScholarshipEach year, Lost & Found Grief Center awards the James Craig Carr scholarship, through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, to one former grief group participant attending college. The 2025-2026 scholarship went to Nixa High School graduate Izzy Lord. She is a....

01/06/2026

✨✈️ Ready to Bid on the Trip of a Lifetime?

The Evening of Hope Live Auction is bringing the wanderlust on January 31, and this year’s travel experiences are nothing short of unforgettable. 🌍💫

Think…

🍾 sipping Champagne after a croissant in Paris

🦁 locking eyes with wildlife on an African Photo Safari

🛳️️ cruising past glaciers and whales in Alaska

✨ winding through the colorful tapestry of Portugal and Lisbon, from tiled streets to coastal charm

And that’s just the beginning. 😉
Whether you dream of European adventures, once-in-a-lifetime safaris, or breathtaking coastlines, these trips are designed to inspire, delight, and support a powerful cause. 💙

🎟️ Haven’t secured your table yet?

Find all the details and reserve your spot at
👉 https://lostandfoundozarks.com/eveningofhope/

Stay tuned as we reveal more auction highlights — and get ready to raise your paddle for hope.

📅 Evening of Hope | January 31

01/05/2026

Walking through our doors for the first time can feel incredibly hard.

Many of our participants tell us they sat in their cars for a few minutes before finding the courage to come inside. Some say the first two or three group sessions were tough—but they kept coming because they hoped it would help. And for most people, it did.

They found relief in sharing their stories and connecting with others who truly understood their grief.

Now, those same participants often tell us they don’t want to miss a group session—because it gives them the strength to keep going.

While every group session is a little different depending on who is present and what is shared, all Lost & Found support groups follow a gentle, consistent flow so you know what to expect:

• Introductions
• Review of group rules to help create a safe space
• Check-in about the past few weeks
• A centering activity to prepare heart and body
• A main activity focused on coping, feelings, or memories
• A candle ceremony to honor the lives of those we love

If you’re feeling nervous about your first night, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to do this by yourself. We’ll be here when you’re ready.

01/01/2026

New Year. New Me? This phrase is often the expectation we place on ourselves, but the reality is that grief doesn't stop with a new calendar year. Here's Melanie Blair, Assistant Executive Director at Lost & Found Grief Center, with some guidance for taking on 2026.

12/31/2025

New Year's is often a time to take a step into something new. We are here to help you in your grief journey.💙🧡

If you are navigating grief this season, please reach out by calling 417-865-9998 or by completing the contact form on our website: https://lostandfoundozarks.com/contact-us/

12/31/2025

As Cierlita reminds us, “It is okay to grieve — because that’s a sign of love.” 💙🧡

After losing her husband George, Cierlita found support through a Lost & Found Grief Center spouse loss group. Now, her dream is to use the years ahead to help others — sharing the love she carries forward, a love she calls priceless.

If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, let 2026 be the year you seek help on your grief journey. You don’t have to do this alone.

Lost & Found Grief Center offers no-cost support groups where hope can grow, healing can begin, and love continues to be shared.

✨ May Cierlita’s story encourage you to reach out in the new year — for help, for hope, and for healing.

💙🧡 Reach out by calling 417-865-9998 or visiting https://lostandfoundozarks.com

12/30/2025

After George died, Cierlita spent months carrying her grief quietly. Five months later, she walked into a Lost & Found Grief Center's spouse loss group for the first time… and she kept coming back.

Not because the pain disappeared.
But because she didn’t have to carry it alone.

Listening. Being heard. Sitting with others who understood the weight of love and loss without explanation. As Cierlita shared, “To listen to others will give you comfort.”

🧡💙As we approach a new year, many people are stepping forward still carrying loss from the year behind them. Hope doesn’t mean forgetting. It means finding support, connection, and moments of comfort along the way.

✨ Part 2 of Cierlita’s story is a reminder that healing doesn’t happen alone, and that even in a new year, you don’t have to start over by yourself.

12/30/2025

Cierlita and George’s sweet love story began with a simple service request and grew into 31 years of marriage. When George died suddenly in 2022, everything Cierlita knew about life changed.🧡💙

Her story may sound familiar. The sudden loss. The disbelief. The feeling that life stopped while the world kept moving.

Grief isn’t a chapter we close. It’s a journey we walk for a lifetime, and one that no one should walk alone.

In our final Finding Hope video series of the year, Cierlita shares her story of love, loss, and learning how to keep going when your heart is forever changed. If you see your own sorrow reflected in hers, know this: you are not alone.

✨ Part 1 begins now. Stay with us for what comes next.

Thank you, Cierlita, for sharing your journey with us all!

12/29/2025

As we come to the close of 2025, our hearts are full of gratitude for everyone who has walked alongside Lost & Found Grief Center during our 25th Anniversary year.

Whether you participated in our programs, attended an event, volunteered, or financially supported our mission, you helped make hope and healing possible for grieving children, teens, and adults across the region. Thank you! 🧡💙

This year, our therapeutic grief support groups served 685 participants, each with their own story and each deserving a safe place to process, remember, and connect.

Our individual counseling program provided one-on-one support to 110 clients—a testament to the need for compassionate grief care in our community.

We could not do our work without those who give their time and treasure to Lost & Found. In 2025, 128 volunteers gifted us with time, and more than 700 individuals, businesses, and foundations invested in our mission.