named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Annual Walk to Remember
Community event honoring babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death, serving as both a memorial and fundraising activity
Forget-Me-Not Newsletter
Regular publication sharing stories, resources, and updates for families coping with perinatal loss
Peer-to-Peer Support Program
Connects bereaved parents with trained peers who have experienced similar losses to provide emotional support and companionship
Wings of Love Memorial Fund
Provides financial assistance and remembrance items for families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Grief Support Groups and Counseling 4 activities
- Conducting random acts of kindness for grieving familiesCarries out random acts of kindness initiatives to provide unexpected support and comfort to families experiencing perinatal loss.
- Operating peer support and emotional wellness programsLeads support groups and operates a Peer-to-Peer Support program that connects bereaved parents for mutual emotional support, fostering connection and healing across Western New York’s eight counties.
- Participating in external grief and bereavement initiativesParticipated in the Grief Initiative in 2019, a project funded by the New York Life Foundation and produced by WPSU Penn State, to contribute to broader understanding and support around perinatal bereavement.
- Providing tangible support items to bereaved familiesDistributes care packages, journals, cameras, angel gowns, comfort bears, candles, and heartbeat纪念 items to families experiencing perinatal loss to help them honor and remember their infants. These items are provided to support memory-making and emotional healing.
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Charity Event Organization 1 activity
- Organizing remembrance events and community engagement activitiesOrganizes the annual Walk to Remember and Evening to Remember events, which evolved from the original Basket Raffle, and adapted these events into alternative formats during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue supporting families while ensuring community safety.
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Financial and Emotional Support for Bereaved Families 1 activity
- Providing financial assistance for infant cremation or burialOffers financial support of up to $200 to bereaved parents for cremation or burial expenses for infants up to one year old.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$50K
Contributions & grants$18K36%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$59K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$32K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$37K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$37K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +27.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 9
- CONSTANCE PERNA — DIRECTOR
- JAN WALKEN — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN RYAN — DIRECTOR
- LYNN ARONICA — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL ANDERSON — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD ZAJAC — DIRECTOR
- TERRY RYAN — DIRECTOR
- VIVIAN CARION — DIRECTOR
- WILLIAM ZORN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Buffalo Prenatal/Perinatal Network Partner — Collaborative network partner focused on perinatal health and bereavement support.
- Catholic Health System Partner — Partner organization including Mercy Hospital and Sisters of Charity Hospital.
- Emily Doring Partner — Point of contact for the Wings of Love program, providing administrative and support services to applicants.
- Event Volunteer Committee Partner — Volunteer committee involved in planning and executing organizational events
- Guthrie Family Partner — Family participating in annual walk to support WNYPBN's mission and raise funds.
- Heigl Family Partner — Partnered with WNYPBN by creating a dedicated donation page in memory of their stillborn son to support the organization's programs.
- Kaleida Health Partner — Partner organization including Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
- March of Dimes Partner — Collaborates with WNYPBN in supporting families facing perinatal loss.
- Mike Opoka Partner — Co-participant in the Walk to Remember and co-organizer of fundraising efforts in memory of their child.
- New York Life Foundation Funder — Funded the Grief Initiative in which WNYPBN participated.
- Oattescosta Family Partner — Family sharing personal story to support WNYPBN's mission and fundraising efforts.
- Paolini Family Partner — Family sharing personal story to support fundraising for WNYPBN's programs.
- Parrinello Family Partner — Family sharing personal experience of perinatal loss to support WNYPBN's mission and fundraising.
- Rodgers Family Partner — Family sharing personal perinatal loss story to support WNYPBN's outreach and fundraising efforts.
- The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care Partner — Collaborates with WNYPBN to support families experiencing perinatal bereavement.
- UBMD Obstetrics and Gynecology Partner — Medical partner involved in perinatal care and collaboration with WNYPBN.
- WNYPBN Network — Organization supported by donations made in memory of the contributor's infants.
- WNYPBN Partner — Hosts the Walk to Remember event in which the Rosario family participates to honor their stillborn son.
- WNYPBN Partner — Organization providing support to the Goldyn family following the stillbirth of their daughter and subsequent miscarriages.
- WPSU Penn State Partner — Produced the Grief Initiative, a collaborative project in which WNYPBN participated.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Memory Preservation to Support Grief Integrationmethodology: memory-preservation-for-grief-supportBy providing tools and rituals for memory-making—such as cameras, gowns, and journals—we help families honor their infants and process grief, because tangible remembrances validate loss and support long-term emotional healing.
- Peer-Based Healing Through Lived Experiencemethodology: trauma_informed_peer_supportBy connecting bereaved parents with others who have experienced perinatal loss, we foster authentic emotional healing and reduce isolation, because shared lived experience builds trust, safety, and mutual resilience in grief.
- Storytelling as a Pathway to Healing and Awarenessmethodology: storytelling_for_healingBy sharing personal stories of perinatal loss, we support emotional processing for families and increase public understanding, because narrative fosters empathy, reduces stigma, and strengthens community engagement around grief.