



Dedicated in memory of Imagine’s long time facilitator, Gail Rhein, whose dedication is an inspiration to us all Gail gifted much of her time, talents and heart to the children and families of Imagine over many years of service. She is a reminder of the impact of ensuring people feel felt
In honor of Gail and all of Imagine’s amazing facilitators, this room will be Gail’s Room, a space dedicated to our volunteers, a place for comfort, connection and respite to help cultivate sustainability of self in the work of grief.
With gratitude from the Imagine staff, we dedicate this room in memory of Gail and in honor of all of our volunteers.
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Hear from our Executive Director, Lindsay Schambach
Learn more about the children and families we serve
Thanks to those who drive our mission
Newark has found a home in Downtown Newark
See the impact during our annual gatherings
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See our response to the new Grief Bill in New Jersey Organizations who contributed to our building and programs this year
Generosity from individuals, corporations, organizations, and foundations
The superhero squad taking care of our families
Dear Friends,
2023 marks the start of a new decade in the history of Imagine. To start this monumentous year, we launched a new three year strategic plan; a plan committed to three things. 1. Ensuring our services in Mountainside are everything we can dream of to support families during the worst moments of their lives. 2. Ensuring that we build trusting relationships to ensure that we can help Newark residents with their grief and increase the density of grief informed adults in the city of Newark. 3. Ensuring that schools are in a position to support the grief and loss carried by students, instead of exacerbating it. We know that there are grieving children in every school, in every town, across our state, and Imagine has the team to.
This year, we laid the foundation for these three priorities to gain the momentum required to carry us through this next chapter Our families and volunteers have always been the center of this mission We have listened to our families to understand their needs We have asked our volunteers about the needs about our families that show up in support group rooms each night
On the pages that follow, you will see the direct actions we have taken on this road We took a big leap of faith, similiar to the one in 2017, when Imagine moved from the First United Methodist Church to the 11,000 sq foot space we have in Mountainside Our leap of faith brought us to a space for grief in the city of Newark After being in the wellness center of Beth Israel Hosptial in 2019, then in the Boys and Girls Club of Newark in 2021, and then a brief stay in Life Academy on Bragaw Avenue in Newark After much effort of the Imagine team, in January of 2024, we leased 4,000 sq feet of space to ensure families in the Essex and Hudson counties know that their grief matters too!
Over 2023 – 2024 program year, we hosted additional nights and offerings for families across both locations, such as our Widows Retreat, our Understanding Children’s Grief Workshops and our best attended webinar in the history of Imagine, How to Talk to Children about Death and Dying. We had opportunities to share Imagine’s message on One on One with Steve Adubato, Your New Jersey, and other media opportunities. The world is beginning to see what we see, that there is a great need to talk about the elephant in the room, to talk about our grief, to bring the world together. On January 4th, 2024, Governor Murphy signed groundbreaking legislation, making NJ the first state in the country to allow schools to teach about grief and loss to 8th – 12th graders The world needs this support Imagine is ready to provide that support
Thank you to this community for your faith in our organization to lead the way, for your support to ensure we can show up for families and for your understanding of how life changing this support actually is We couldn’t do any of this without you
With love and light to you always and all ways,
Lindsay and the Imagine team
Number of participants
Number of volunteer hours
Percentage of returned participants
Last year, our “New Monday” Night of Support reached full capacity by year’s end. This year, we’re thrilled to announce the addition of a “New Tuesday” Night of Support at our Mountainside location for our families. We now offer a total of five, inperson Nights of Support in Mountainside, while still providing virtual assistance for those who find it challenging to attend in person. Each night, our groups are filled to capacity, and our “New Tuesday” continues to expand.
“Imagine has undoubtedly helped foster their growth and healthy relationship with loss. I always say that I have my kids to thank for my own perseverance. Not only have they given me reason to get out of bed every day, but their innocent perspective has mitigated my own suffering in ways that I never could have imagined."
—Jacqueline D., Imagine Participant
Imagine hosted monthly workshops titled *Understanding Children’s Grief* from January to May 2024 for caregivers of grieving children. These sessions offered support and education on how i f if t t diff t
“The program was wonderful...The information was spot on for helping my daughter through some of the moments she experienced. It definitely helped me become a better parent.”
Imagine’s Understanding Children’s Grief workshops provide another way for us to offer support to our families as they navigate their grief journey together.
On Valentines Day, 2024, Imagine hosted our first ever Adults and Children Yoga classes. This day is often the reminder of all the things we have lost. We a better way to be together than to remind our children and our adults all that we still have, getting out of our heads and into our bodies and remembering the community around us!
We facilitated a retreat in the Uplands for our participants, offering them a dedicated opportunity for self-reflection and rejuvenation The central theme of this retreat was self-love, emphasizing the importance of nurturing one’s own well-being
In 2023, Imagine began our services in one of our partner school site’s KIPP Life Academy. thank you to principal Charlene Dixon, for making space for Imagine. We hosted our Nights of Support here from September through January.
In January of 2024, Imagine finally held the keys to our newly leased 4,000 sq ft space located on the 4th floor of 570 Broad Street. We opened our first Night of Support in this space in February 2024.
The Healthcare Foundation of NJ supported Imagine in expanding our Grief Informed Schools work from 3 schools to 6 schools, training Admin, Teachers, Mental Health Professionals and students themselves.
The Schumann Fund and Hyde and Watson helped support the expansion to our new space.
The Southward Promise Neighborhood continues to partner with Imagine to provide Grief 101 training to 40 Newark based partners.
The
Grief Organizations Respond
On January 4, 2024, New Jersey Bill S3330 was enacted This landmark legislation mandates that grief education be incorporated into schools for students in grades 8 through 12, beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year. In response, Imagine collaborated with both national and local experts in children's grief to develop a curriculum that meets this requirement.
The national task force included several renowned grief specialists, such as Donna Schuurman, EdD, FT, Tashel Bordere, PhD, Vicki Jay of the NACG, Andy McNiel, MA, Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT, Imagine Staff, Good Grief Staff, Lynn M. Snyder LPC, ATR-BC, FT from Common Ground, and the Coalition to Support Grieving Students. The local task force was comprised of New Jersey grief support centers, including Good Grief, Common Ground, and The Alcove
In collaboration with national and local task forces, Imagine has introduced a new volunteer opportunity called “Grief Educators” to address the growing demand for training Eleven of our incredible volunteer facilitators eagerly joined forces with Imagine to foster grief-informed school communities. Grief Educators underwent training to enhance their knowledge and skills, enabling them to conduct sessions alongside Imagine staff. To support our Grief Educators in their new roles, Imagine will offer monthly supervision sessions to provide guidance and constructive feedback.
Imagine applied to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to become an ACE (Approved Continuing Education) provider for several of our trainings and webinars and we were granted approval for all four! This means that our training courses offered in schools and workplaces by Training and Education Director, Veronica C Ortiz, LPC can provide Social Workers attending with the continuing education credits that they are required to complete for their licensure. Imagine’s trainings including 101: Understanding Loss, Grief and Mourning, 201: Diving into Grief Through an Intersectional Lens and 301: Skill Building, Planning and Application are all accredited with the ASWB. Additionally, Imagine’s Loss, Grief and Resilience in the LGBTQ+ Community, a free webinar offered each year in June can also provide Social Workers with the CEs they need. Imagine is proud to be an ACE provider as we continue to work to bring grief education to all the schools and workplaces in our community.
2023-2024 Sche
Creating Access to Grief Education to our Community
Imagine hosted monthly free webinars and workshops during the 2023-2024 program year, providing support and grief education to participants and the broader community. This effort aimed to create supportive environments for those grieving, reaching attendees in New Jersey and even internationally. The webinars helped extend the reach of grief education, ensuring support is readily available for those in need.
September
Grief in the Latinx Community
October
Bullies to Buddies Training
November
How to Support Someone Coping with Loss 101
December
Coping with Loss During the Holidays
January
Coping with Loss-Post Holiday Fatigue
February
Grief in the Black Community, Coping with Loss
Together
March
How to Talk to Kids about Death and Dying
April
Living in the AND with Connie Palmer, LCSW
May
Grief in the Black Community, An Invitation to Allyship
June
Loss, Grief and
Community
At Imagine, creating a comfortable, warm, and welcoming environment in our grief support rooms is our top priority. We take great care in curating and maintaining the items that have been generously donated.
Many of the furnishings at Imagine have remained unchanged since we moved to this location in 2018
Now, thanks to the generous support from the Snyder Foundation, we have upgraded our furniture, providing seating that ensures comfort and choice for our families This thoughtful enhancement helps foster the safety necessary for sharing one's grief journey
Each summer, Imagine collaborates with a local partner to prepare for the upcoming program year. This year, Tara Kuropatkin, one of Imagine’s participants, invited her employer, Komar, to join us for Facilities Refresh Day! Komar sent a team of 30 employees who helped by assembling furniture, painting walls, tuning guitars, organizing closets, and much more Additionally, under the leadership of David Komar, the company generously donated $10,000 to support Imagine’s Night of Support Program, which assists families affected by loss and grief Tara and her children have been participating in this program since 2022
The Westfield United Fund's "United by Light" campaign sold candles and bags to brighten the town and highlight the pressing need for mental health services. Through this initiative, WUF successfully distributed $18,000 among six mental health agencies
This year's recipients included: Caring Contact, Imagine, Jewish Family Service, St Joseph Social Service Center, Youth and Family Counseling Service, and YWCA Union County
We express deep gratitude to the Rosenfeld/Glasser Foundation for their vital support and generous donations, which have enhanced our mission and helped us reach more families in need of grief support services Their commitment to community well-being inspires us and strengthens our resolve to create positive change We anticipate many more years of collaboration and shared successes
Your Passion & Generosity will give us Hope for the Next 10 Years Gifts received between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024
$10,000+
General Atlantic Foundation
PSEG
Wiss & Company, LLP
$1,000-$9,999
Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office
BMW of Springfield
Bradley and Son Funeral Homes, LLC
Brave Spirits
ConnectOne Bank
Dangler Funeral Home
Ernst & Young
Fleet Feet North Jersey
Grosvenor
Hedinger and Lawless, LLC
Holland & Knight, LLP
Northfield Bank
Offen Eye Associates
Prime Oral And Facial Surgery of Cranford
Rossi Funeral Home
Sanofi
Savoy Associates
Sobel Bixel
Schuster Family Orthodontics, LLC
Star Contracting
Streetworks
Stress Factory, Inc
Superior Interiors*
Tarraservices
Twin Boro Physical Therapy
UBS Financial Services
Union Pork Store, LLC
Westfield Pediatric Dental Group, LLC
$500-$999
Banknet Mortgage Services
Clifton Larson Allen, LLP
Document Solutions
Family Investors Company
Guillotine Salon and Spa
Michael Robert Construction and Ellie Mroz Design
Rabadeau Wealth Group
Rumble Boxing Westfield
Shoreline East Construction
Westfield Financial Planning
Your Part-Time Controller, LLC
MATCHING GIFT EMPLOYERS
AIG
Bank of America
Faber Law Group
Fiserv
General Atlantic Foundation
$20,000+
The Glasser Foundation
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey
Tooley Foundation
Wilf Family Foundation
$10,000-$19,999
General Atlantic Foundation
Henry S & Agnes M Truzack Foundation
The Nicholas J & Anna K Bouras Foundation, Inc
The Rosenfield and Glassman Foundation, Inc
The Westfield United Fund
$5,000-$9,999
Blanche M & George L Watts Mountainside Community Foundation
Orange Orphan Society
Robert & Marion Schamann Brozowski Foundation
$500-$4,999
Affinity Foundation
Financial Resource FCU
Mildred Burg Private Foundation
Overlook Foundation
Provident Bank Foundation
Standish Foundation
The Henry & Marilyn Taub Foundation
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION PARTNERS
$10,000+
South Ward Promise Neighborhood
New Jersey Festival Orchestra
JustinTime Foundation*
$1,000-$9,999
Faith Lutheran Church*
Fanwood-Scotch Plains Service League
Junior League of Summit
Members Handicapped Children’s Fund
Westfield Rotary Club Foundation
Westfield Service League
Westfield High School Tennis Team
Presbyterian Church of Westfield
$500-$999
Holy Trinity School
Junior League of Elizabeth-Plainfield
United Way of Monmouth County
Westfield Area Y Men's Club
Pfizer Foundation
Piper Sandler Companies Prudential Foundation
United
– Dress for Less *Circle of Hope Member
$20,000+
Donald Katz and Leslie Larson
Gaither and Pam Shaw*
Marilyn Stiglitz
Scott West*
Stites Family Fund
$5,000-$19,999
Steven and Caroline Angel*
Dr Jon Bartlett
Renny Alan Cabreros
John Duetsch, Jr*
Susan Dunn
Alison Eshak*
Claude Fusco*
James and Nora Gallagher
Marlene Glasser
Lawrence Goldman*
Steve Guberer*
Keith Hertell*
David A. Holmes Jr.
Mary Patricia Keefe*
Steve Lerner*
Gregory Michael Lewis and Kristen Ballinger*
Jeffrey and Eleanor Peris*
Dr. Harvey Rosen*
Kevin Roth
Lindsay Schambach*
Rory Serrano
Jason Slosberg
Kristen and Blake Sonnek-Schmelz*
John and Marilyn Toriello*
John and Morgan Toriello*
Tom Varkey*
$1,000-$4,999
Anonymous*
Johanna Aguilera*
Nancy & Joel Altobello*
Lisa Amato
Louise Arkel*
Sara Jane Armuth*
Stuart Clark Arnold*
Ellan Ben-Hayon*
Joseph and Lauren Benanti
Ellen Bernholz*
Jay Boyle*
Angela and Dan Blankenship
Adam Blumenreich*
Shelley Brindle*
Frank Brown
Matthew Brown
Don Bucciarelli*
Rebecca Burke*
Donald and Allison Bucciarelli*
Benjamin and Sharon Bryan
Salvatore and Darleen Caruana
Karen Chong
Matthew and Margo Cordivari*
Christopher Cowan
Vinny Culhane*
Linda Curro*
$1,000-$4,999
Vasilios Daskalopoulos*
Andrew Davis*
Charles A DeAngelis*
Nicholas and Marybeth Defabrizio
Michael Dietrich*
Jennie DeVincenzo*
Jim Doran
Katherine Dulan*
Jerry Eicke
David and Judy Epstein
Scott and Michele Eskow*
Judith Fairweather*
Anne and David Farber
Marci Fisher*
James Fitzpatrick
Elizabeth Ford
Rachel Furnari*
Karen Furst
John and Sheila Gagliano
Steve Garvey*
Michele Gesser*
Greg Giardiello*
Vincent Giordano
Dina Glasofer*
Susan Glatt*
David and Renee Golush
Brian and Cheryl Greenwald
Jillian Griffiths
Nancy Gruskin*
Marilyn Haggerty
Joseph and Salynn Hanlon
Gordana Djordjevic Harris
Alan Haveson*
Laurie Goldsmith Heitner
Richard and Mary Hille*
Orit Hodarkovsky*
Paul Hollman
Amy Johnson
Deb Kapuscinski*
Kori Kaufman*
Robert Kelly*
Christopher Kelly
Paul Kleespies*
Robert and Barbara Koppel*
Ethan and Debby Kramer*
Sam Kramer*
Hilary Landau
Robert and Theresa LaPlaca
Anthony M Laporta
Eric Legoff*
Colleen Logan*
Diane Mann
Nunzio Martucci
Mary Caye McCourt
Pastor Jane McCready*
Brad Melvin*
Diana Miller*
Mayor Paul Mirabelli*
Kenneth Mirsky
Mayor Matthew Moench*
James Monahan*
Melissa Montalvo*
$1,000-$4,999
Fran Monteleone*
Thomas Nastasi
David Nathanson
Shane Nelson*
Bonnie Nolan*
Carla Novak
Judy and Jim O'Brien
Nicolas Pakler
Parag Patel
Paul Peterson*
Tim and Charlene Peterson
Lynn Petrino
Alison and Sajan Philip*
Suzanne Pinto*
Michele Raber*
Nora Radest*
Richard Ralph
Diane Renzulli*
Beth Riordan*
Trini Rodriguez*
Connie Rostiac*
Sheila Rostiac*
Rosalind Ruby
Lorraine Ruprecht*
Chris Ryan
Bruce Sachnoff
Josh Sadler
Christine Sappenfield
Joan Schade*
Elizabeth Schambach*
Kenneth Schneider, PhD*
Lisa K. Schwartz*
David and Christine Scordato*
Margo Seaman*
Danielle and Nick Sgroi
Linda Sharkey
Noreen Short
Robert Spass
James Stanford
Kara Stamper*
Basil Stepanov*
Linda and Brian Sterling
Marla Stewart
Paul and Val Stierhoff
Holly Strelzik*
Marjorie Ticknor
Jon Tiger*
Edward Toriello
Sam Tooley
Sarnio Tropeano*
John and Joely Triantafyllou
Jeffrey Vanterpool*
Dan Vorhaus
Andrew Vrigian
Lisa Walker
Kevin Walsh
Patricia Wolfe
Jason Yarusi*
Michele Zahka*
Ron Zuzovsky*
$500-$999
Bari Adelman
Alice Loveys Beisser
Patrick Bergin
Michael Berrigan
Brendan Bertsch
Moreen Beshara
Peyton Boswell
Maria Boyes
Scott Bradley
Fatimah Burnam-Watkins
Heather Byrd
Mike Casciano
Michael and Alison Clemente
Matthew Cognetti
Diane Conboy
Andrew Crawford
Alexander Crisses
Gordan Cruess
Margareth de Jesus
Dianne Denommee
Iseult Devlin
Jennie DeVincenzo*
Michael Dietrich*
Nicholas Dinallo
Bruno Dori
Ann Duffy
Brandford and Melanie Ellis
Roberta Fallig
Edward Fagan
Chad Fandel
Jennifer Fitzpatrick
Jessica Fitzpatrick
$500-$999
Cathy Gacos
Doug Galm
The Gorman Family Fund
Joseph Hunt
John Hutchins
Ed Isarelow
Tara Jablonski
Matthew Jackson
Rev. Jeremy and Caroline Jinkins
Molly John
Ven Kocaj
Steven Kohutic
Jeffrey Kuropatkin
Chris Lanning
Pat Lanza
Marc Lebovitz
Paul Lafkowitz and Lon Gorman
Carol Ann Lisanti
Cathi Maier-Tajkowski
Carolyn Tenney*
Jennifer Mantini
Jeana Marinelli
Lisa Mastronardi
Marc McCann
Matthew Mendelsohn
Paul Mirabelli*
Kathleen Monahan
Gary Moran
Stephen Muretta
John Murphy
Myrna Neuwelt
Dennis Newnham*
$500-$999
Jeffrey Nickell
Kendall O’Brien
Maureen O'Connor
James Pardes
Richard Parness
Guy Patterson
David Payne
Erin Pettit
Kelly Pettit
Michele Raber*
Richard Reich*
Kathleen Ridkes
Janet Robusto
Shawn Rogers
Mary Russo
Heidi Schoenemann
Wendy and Robert Schoenemann
Evelyn Schwartz
Janet Skinner
Carolyn Slaski
Douglas Smith
Christine Stone
Angela Marie Tayco
Oscar Teunissen
Christine Walz
Fatimah Burnam-Watkins
Jon Watkins
Rachel Windman
Amy Yin
Gifts received between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024 have been made in memory of or in honor of the following individuals and families
Winona P Adams
Loura Alaverdi
Phyllis Anderson
Stuart Clark Arnold
Carol Ann Backus
Zane Behnke
Ed Belford
Evan & Sue Berk
Phyllis Bloom
Sue Booker
Karen Brent
Jon Breslar
Anna Brown
Donald Bucciarelli
Joseph Campoli
William Cho
Abby Cohen
Ken and Sharon Coopersmith
Victoria Cordova
Ian and Karen Creaser
Mary P Curtin Creaser
Tom Creaser
Adrienne Cymbala
Dianne Denommee
Caroline Dioso
Marie Donnelly
Hunter Doyle
Josh Dunkelman
Allison Eshet
Linda Esler
Barishman Family
Creaser Family
Difalco Family
Dunkelman Family
Guberer Family
Kuropatkin Family
Nash Family
Schambach Family
Toriello Family
Windman Family
Lexi Faye
Ellyn Fisher
Will R Ford
Valerie Frazer
Dianne Garland
Ben Gellman
Jonathan Gellman
Stacey Gellman
David V Gold
Larry Goldman
Emma Greenwald
Molly Greenwald
Emily Grodberg
Stanley Grossman
Gayle Heitner
Keith Hertell
Melanie Hess
Fields Howard
Bob Jacobs
Jeremy and Caroline Jinkins
Jane Jorvina
Heidi Katz
Susan Kaufmann
Albert Anthony Kayal
Anya Kiviat
Jeff Krupp
Michael Kuropatkin
Stacy Kurtz
Peter Lagatta
Gregory Leech
Mark Lippman
Maeve Lynskey
Marlene Marmel
Mariajose Martinez-Steinberg
Amanda Maxwell
Jim and Carolyn McCloskey
Althea McDevitt
Rory McGovern
Roy McGowan
Jerry McKenna
Jim McKie
John Mistretta
Leigh Mulligan
Stephen and Marlene Muretta
Walter F Murphy, Jr
Fabulous Ness
Amber Oates
Kristin O'Blenis
Joseph Paduano
Rosemary Peden
Jeff and Eleanor Peris
Christine Perry
Sandra Marie Pisciotta
Michael Ridkes
Larry and Jana Rine
Denise Riordan
James Rispoli
Carrigan Robert
Ellen Rosenbloom
Judith B Ruth
Keri Santora
Kim Santora
Elizabeth Schambach
Lindsay Schambach
Michael Schambach
Sandra Schembri
Greta Schoenemann
Rosiani Schuricht-Fain
Rosa Schwartz
Jen Osborne Schwarzenbek
Marie Scolavino
Leonard S Scolette
Vinny Scully
Craig Selinger
Mariajose Serrano
Danielle Sherman
Mac Simonson
Callahan Skidmore
Janet Slipowitz
Arnie Smith
Ness Smith
Kristen Sonnek-Schmelz
Imagine Staff
Valerie Tanza Starks
John A. Stein
Audrey Steinberg
Scarlett Steinberg
Jim Strole
Rich and Mindy Szeto
Angela Marie Tayco
Robert H Tell
Christa Toomians
John Toriello
John and Marilyn Toriello
Matthew Thomas Toriello
Lee Vanderpool
Michael Walther
Elahna Weinflash
Ness Weiss
Ryan West
Scott West
Debbie Wizel
Pamela Gold Zafra
*
Jeffrey Peris, Chair
Ethan Kramer, Vice Chair
Don Bucciarelli, Treasurer
Robert Kelly, Secretary
Fatimah Burnam-Watkins
Lawrence Goldman
Steve Guberer
Mary Patricia Keefe
Diana Miller
Shane Nelson
Kenneth Schneider, PhD
Morgan Toriello
Jeffrey Vanterpool
Scott West
Senator Jon Bramnick
Mayor Shelley Brindle
Bev Chappel+
Dr. Gerald Glasser+
Rabbi Earl Grollman+
Keith Hertell
Maria Housden
Rev. Jeremy Jinkins
Rabbi Charles Kroloff
Dr. Alan Lieber
Mayor Paul Mirabelli
Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz
Newark Advisory Committee
Tafshier Cosby
Kevin Brown
Altorice Frazier
Chantaya King
Sydney Williams
*As of 8/31/2023
+In Memoriam
Lindsay Cullinan Schambach Executive Director
Abigail Priece Program Supervisor
Alexa Adubato Training & Development Associate
Andrew Bauer Chief Operating Officer
Connie Palmer Grief Educator
Indira Jagoo Newark Clinical Program Director
Juliet Louie Bookkeeper
Kellie Saracino Mountainside Program Associate
Kristin Imbimbo Mountainside Program & Partnership Manager
Najiyyah Bailey Media and Design Manager
Sonia Nunez Bilingual Program Manager
Valerie Stierhoff Communications and Volunteer Engagement Manager
Veronica C. Ortiz Training & Education Director