Expanding Their Home, Healing More Hearts

Members of the board of directors and capital campaign committee members celebrated the groundbreaking, Tuesday, April 26, of the expansion of The WARM Place. Community members were able to view future plans of the approximate 3,400 square feet addition to the property. The non-profit engaged Fort Worth architect Ames Fender to design the expansion creating it in the likeness of the original building which Fender designed as well. Earlier this year The WARM Place launched its capital campaign to raise $1.7 million to fund the construction project.

“We are so excited to embark on this expansion,” said Shelley Bettis, executive director of The WARM Place. “After 33 years of service to the Fort Worth community and greater North Texas, we knew we had to further expand our physical space to meet the needs of our growing community.”

Rendering courtesy of The WARM Place

The expansion will include the following features:

• Four additional group rooms to host peer support groups
• Expanded dining room to accommodate group night potluck meals and family activities throughout the year
• Large multi-purpose room to host family night event activities and training, equipped with A/V
• New work areas for program staff and additional private offices
• Expanded parking area for volunteers and staff

Group areas will increase by more than 75% with this addition allowing The WARM Place to host 32 additional groups and serve an estimated 200 additional families. The center will be able to better focus on serving more children and their families in their times of loss and grief. Overall, The WARM Place will increase by nearly 51% while maintaining its welcoming, loving and compassionate environment.

Rendering courtesy of The WARM Place

“The WARM Place mission to provide peer support to children and their families after the death of loved one has stayed the same since day one,” said Peggy Bohme, The WARM Place co-founder. “When we started, our first group night at The WARM Place we had eight families join us, that number continued to grow.”

Bohme went on to say, it is only through the generous support of our donors and community that this expansion is possible.  I’m honored to witness the growth of the agency and so proud as I know, Dr. John Richardson would be as well.  Our supporters know how critical the work we do at The WARM Place is for children and we are so grateful to have such a dedicated staff, network of volunteers, and community that made this possible.  We can look to the future knowing no child will have to grieve alone.

The WARM Place provides year-round grief support services to children ages 3 ½ to 18 years old and their families, as well as young adults ages 19 to 25, who have experienced the death of a loved one. The WARM Place provides a safe environment for children to express feelings and emotions as well as the opportunity to meet with children and families who are experiencing circumstances like their own. Since 1989, The WARM Place has companioned more than 43,000 children and their families along their grief journeys. Families are never charged a fee for services and there are no geographical limitations or time limits – families are welcome to participate as long as the children are receiving benefit from the program.

For more information about The WARM Place visit thewarmplace.org.