Gemma's Hope
Gemma’s Hope is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families affected by pregnancy and infant loss. Through donations of keepsakes and practical grief resources on mobile resource carts ("Bereavement Book Carts"), Gemma’s Hope partners with hospitals to provide comfort and hope during an unimaginably difficult time. These thoughtful gestures bring warmth and love to grieving families, helping them feel less alone as they navigate their loss. Gemma’s Hope has already touched hundreds of lives across the Carolinas and beyond. The organization allows families to give back to their communities and honor their children by supporting local hospitals and future bereaved families with meaningful, beautiful donations.
After Ally and Kyle Shaw's newborn daughter, Gemma Hope Shaw, passed away in early November 2021, their lives were forever changed. Unable to erase their grief, they chose to channel it into purpose. To honor Gemma's brief but impactful life, they founded Gemma’s Hope—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families affected by pregnancy and infant loss.
Programs
Bereavement Book Carts
Every parent that finds themselves in the hospital with aching, empty arms deserves to hear "You are loved, and you are not alone." One of the ways we want to help share this message to parents is by offering them free books and accessible resources on infant loss and navigating grief. No matter what their journey looks like when they go home, at least they will be able to hear those words of encouragement from another mom or dad who has lost a child: You are loved, and you are not alone.
Our main project is donating rolling carts to local hospitals with labor & delivery & NICU units for easy access for nurses & staff to roll into a room whenever it's needed. Nurses feel more equipped to handle an already sensitive situation. Parents who are grieving the loss of their child(ren) are able to take home any book(s) and paper resources they feel they need, such as a flyer from the Mother's Milk Bank by WakeMed on how to pump breastmilk after a loss, or a brochure about KinderMourn counseling programs and services. Everything on the carts are 100% free to families, but we encourage people to "pay it forward" if they can. For perspective, books cost an average of $12 each. It costs anywhere from $200-$1,200 to bring these supplies to hospitals for a year, depending on their size. Other bereavement supplies like teddy bears, hand print kits, and impression molds can also be donated to the Bereavement Carts or purchased by hospitals that have a budget.
Volunteering + Events
Volunteer Day
Held quarterly, this is a great opportunity to come out and put your hands to work doing various activities like preparing Book Carts to be packaged & shipped to hospitals, organizing inventory, writing cards to bereaved parents, and making matching bracelets for mom + baby.
Find a Volunteer Role that Fits YOU!
We have a variety of volunteer roles we need support with! Whether you are retired with a lot of time on your hands, or maybe you have your hands full with kids and only have nap time to commit to, or you are remote and not local to Charlotte.....explore the opportunities we have!