HAND originated in Marin County, California, in 1979. HAND chapters in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties have been offering support to bereaved families and loved ones since 1981. HAND founded a new chapter in San Francisco in February 2009, and began to offer support groups and services there as HAND of San Francisco. HAND is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. There are no fees for our services. We rely entirely on grants and donations to support our programs.

HAND of the Peninsula

HAND of the Peninsula is based in San Mateo County on the San Francisco Peninsula. The vision of this HAND chapter is to make its services available to all parents and their loved ones on the Peninsula who are grieving the loss of a child before, during or after birth. HAND of the Peninsula offers its own programs and collaborates on related programs with hospitals, universities and other organizations.

Since its inception, HAND of the Peninsula has provided support to many hundreds of families who have experienced neonatal losses. Some of the primary functions of HAND of the Peninsula are to:

• Offer support groups for grieving parents, family members and friends.
• Provide 24 hour telephone crisis support.
• Provide funeral planning and financial assistance to families in need.
• Provide a bilingual resource library (Spanish and English).
• Provide training workshops for HAND volunteers.
• Provide inservice seminars for health care providers and interested professionals.
• Develop liaisons with related organizations.
• Publish a quarterly newsletter.
• Maintain an online resource for support after a neonatal loss.

HAND of the Peninsula invites you to explore this site and to find out more about our organization and the services that we offer. Please contact us if we may be of assistance to you or someone you love.