Tamara's Memorial Fund for Resilience Rising
May her Memory Do Something Good
Tamara had a gift for nurturing children and youth with special needs. She worked in a group home for adolescent boys with severe autism and other needs that required specialized residential care. She handled this caregiving role with compassion, humor, and a remarkable skill set. She garnered the trust of the boys and the respect of her coworkers.
It seemed like destiny when her only son was also on the spectrum; the two were meant for each other. Clayton was blessed to have her as his mother. She mothered with understanding, patience, joy, humor, adventure, and love.
Tamara was a survivor who traversed her own stories of adversity. And amidst the darker things of life, she continued to bring laughter and light to so many around her. Fighting sexual violence against women and girls was a cause close to her heart. And along with supporting children with autism, she began carving out ways in her life to make an impact for survivors of sexual violence.
Support Survivors in her Memory
Tamara met Resilience Rising's founding director when they worked together in residential care. Tamara became a long-time supporter of Resilience Rising since its inception as a residential program for survivors of trafficking. In May, 2016, Tamara reached out to Resilience Rising with a proposal for a fundraising collaboration with her new LuLaRoe business. Just weeks later, she was gone. To continue her vision of support for these young women, Resilience Rising is dedicating a bedroom in its new residential facility to Tamara's memory. In this way, she will continue to make the world a safer place for girls, women, and individuals with special needs.
This ongoing memorial fund supports:
- 'Tamara's Haven' bedroom in RR's residential treatment facility
- survivors with developmental disabilities
- survivors with children with developmental disabilities
- substance use disorder treatment
- wilderness therapy, forest bathing, and hiking
- blue mind ocean therapy and kayaking
- animal-assisted therapy with farm animals