On November 20, 2025 – National Children’s Grief Awareness Day – “The Healing Chickadee” program helped girls and boys who are grieving the death of a loved one. Created by Soulful Sydney Inc., a Connecticut-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, this new bereavement resource is being introduced to funeral directors across the state.
“‘The Healing Chickadee’ is a multimedia program featuring a group of plush birds called the Tweethearts – ‘birds with words’ that help hard conversations take flight,” explained Terry Murphy, founder and “chief enthusiast” of Soulful Sydney Inc. “Through interactive videos, activities, coloring projects and original music by Disney composer David Friedman, children are encouraged to share their feelings in healthy, creative ways. The bird characters, the activities, and the songs and stories are designed to enhance a child’s social-emotional skills and provide families with a catalyst for conversations about a topic that all too often seems off-limits. This communication builds connection and helps ensure that no child grieves alone.”
For creators Terry Murphy and Deb Clarke (Murphy’s sister), “The Healing Chickadee” program is deeply personal. The sudden death of their 16-year-old brother more than 50 years ago introduced them to tragedy and loss early in life, and the sisters say it was a local funeral director who greatly consoled them during this difficult time.
Although it has been decades since the heartbreak, their realization that grief has no timetable was the impetus for them to help children seeking comfort after loss. The sisters thought of things that would have been helpful to them and their family as they struggled to find solace and heal.
“Licensed funeral directors are in a unique position to provide comfort, resources and guidance to children navigating the loss of a loved one,” continued Murphy, who has begun introducing “The Healing Chickadee” program to members of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA).
“Funeral service professionals know all too well that the effect of early childhood trauma and loss can be tremendous. ‘The Healing Chickadee’ is a creative and powerful new bereavement tool that we can share with the families we serve,” stated Melissa Melin-Miles, CFDA president. “Children look to adults in their lives for support during times of loss and trauma, and we want to do all we can to bring education, comfort and compassion to girls and boys when they need it most.”
In other news, CFDA held its 19th-annual statewide holiday toy and gift-card collection for military families and children receiving medical care. From November 17 to December 4, 2025, funeral homes across Connecticut collected public donations for the Connecticut National Guard’s Operation E.L.F. (Embracing Lonely Families) Service Member & Family Support Center, as well as toys for young patients at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
The following CFDA firms accepted public donations during this charitable initiative: Avon: Carmon Funeral Home & Family Center; Branford: W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home; Bristol: O’Brien Funeral Home; Cheshire: Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire; Cromwell: Cromwell Funeral Home; Derby: Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home; East Hampton: Spencer Funeral Home; East Hartford: D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel; East Hartford: Goodwin University’s Funeral Services Program; East Windsor: East Windsor Community Funeral Home; Enfield: Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels; Fairfield: Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home; Greenwich: Castiglione Funeral Home; Manchester: Holmes-Watkins Funeral Home; Meriden: John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home; Middletown: Doolittle Funeral Home; Naugatuck: Buckmiller Ford Mengacci Funeral Home; New Britain: Duksa Family Funeral Homes; Newington: Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial; Newington: Neptune Cremation Service; Prospect: Prospect Memorial Funeral Home/The Palmerie Family Funeral Home; Rocky Hill: Rose Hill Funeral Home; Seymour: Ralph E. Hull Funeral Home; Shelton: Riverview Funeral Home Inc.; South Windsor: Samsel & Carmon Funeral Home; Southbury: Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home; Southbury: Stone Family Cremation Services; Stafford Springs: Introvigne Funeral Home; Stratford: Adzima Funeral Home; Torrington: Cook Funeral Home; Unionville: Ahern Funeral Home; Vernon: Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home; Wallingford: Wallingford Funeral Home; West Hartford: Molloy Funeral Home; West Hartford: Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home; Wethersfield: CFDA offices; Wethersfield: D’Es-
opo Funeral Chapel; Wethersfield: Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home; Willimantic: Potter Funeral Home; Windsor: Carmon Community Funeral Home; and Woodbury: Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home.
“Funeral directors and suppliers of [CFDA] have held this charitable holiday collection effort for 19 years, and this is the ninth year we also invited the public to bring donations of gift cards and unwrapped toys to local funeral homes,” explained Melin-Miles. “By doing this, we add more than 40 convenient community sites that supplement Operation E.L.F.’s, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Toy Closet Program’s, and Connecticut Children’s own collection efforts.” CTFDA.org; HealingChickadee.com