Center for HOPE to Host Marisa Renee Lee at Annual Luncheon

Darien, Conn (July 17, 2024) – The Center for HOPE is pleased to welcome award-winning author Marisa Renee Lee as the speaker for its 2024 Annual Luncheon. The event will be held Thursday, September 19 at 11:30 a.m. at the Wee Burn Beach Club in Rowayton.

Lee is an advocate, speaker and entrepreneur dedicated to helping people thrive during periods of grief and uncertainty. Drawing from her personal experiences involving the death of her mother, the loss of a much-wanted pregnancy and the tragic deaths of two cousins, she released her first book, “Grief is Love: Living with Loss” in 2022. The book earned a Gold Award from Nautilus Book Awards' Better Books for a Better World and was recently acquired by Al Roker Entertainment for an upcoming docuseries. In addition to her work as a grief expert, Lee served in President Obama's administration and was the founding Managing Director of Obama's My Brother's Keeper Alliance.

Proceeds for the 2024 Center for HOPE Luncheon will benefit the Center for HOPE and The Den for Grieving Kids, Family Centers’ programs offering counseling and support to residents of lower Fairfield County coping with loss, critical illness, or life-altering circumstances. Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.familycenters.org. All attendees will receive a copy of Marisa’s book, “Grief is Love: Living with Loss”.

This year’s event is co-chaired by Tiernan Cavanna, Mary-Jane McCormack and Abby Ritman.

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering health, education and human service programs to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. Over 300 professionals and 500 trained volunteers work together to provide more than 24,000 residents with a holistic, wrap-around approach to care. Family Centers is Joint Commission accredited in Ambulatory Health Care, Behavioral Health Care and Human Services. Family Centers’ Early Care and Education programs are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health. Visit www.familycenters.org for additional information.