Tides Receives $250K Gift to Expand Grief Counseling for Children in Centre County

A Centre County nonprofit organization has received what it calls a “transformational” gift that will fund a new counseling program for grieving children and families.

The $250,000 gift to Tides, Inc. from the Ed and Charlene Friedman Charitable Trust also will fund a new office in State College to house the organization’s expanded services.

“This gift represents an extraordinary investment in the well-being of our community,” Holly Oxendale, executive director of Tides, said in a statement. “Charlene’s generosity will allow us to create a welcoming and accessible space for grieving children to receive direct counseling services. It’s a gamechanger for our community.”

The funding will support the recruitment of a licensed counselor, office space to host counseling sessions, on-site resources for individuals and families and the enhancement of Tides services tailored to individuals who have experienced the death of a loved one, according to the organization.

Expanded counseling services will begin once the hiring process concludes

“Tides has a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” Charlene Friedman said. “I am honored to support their programming to introduce counseling services and the physical space needed to do so. It’s a privilege to help ensure that local children and families have access to compassionate, professional grief care in a safe environment.”

Since it first began offering grief support services in 2003, Tides has grown to include peer-to-peer counseling, school programming, grief education and training for local professionals, community crisis support and grief support for individuals living with a terminal illness and their family members.

The new office marks “a significant milestone in the organization’s growth and commitment to serving the community,” according to Tides.