Charities Served

This year’s designated charity is The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas (CBCST). CBCST is the only free-standing organization of its kind in the San Antonio and south Texas region that is solely focused on the grief support needs of children, teens and young adults who have suffered the death of a loved one. 

The Children's Bereavement Center of South Texas is dedicated to helping children and teens through the grief process. We provide emotional peer support through a group format for children and teens, ages 3-18, and their parents or caregivers who have experienced a death. Everyone comes together to share their experience in a support group environment full of caring, acceptance, and understanding. We place together children and teens with similar death experiences to help diminish their feelings of isolation.

The CBCST is a place to rest, to feel normal, to find support, and to learn how to heal. It is a place where someone will listen and discuss concerns after the death has occurred. We use many creative activities which are natural and non-threatening ways to express feelings about death and the subsequent loss of security, trust, and control. All of the creative and expressive activities are used to help describe and communicate to others what happened and to help re-establish feelings of control. The children and teens choose what to do that will be uniquely comforting and healing to them.

After an initial interview and assessment with a member of our staff the child/teen is placed in a program based on the type of loss they have experienced.

Each program is open-ended which means children may participate for as long as they choose. Each program is regularly scheduled and meets twice a month. On program nights, families, volunteers and staff members share a potluck meal before beginning group.