Rainbows Overview

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When a change takes place in the family, whether it is a death, divorce or separation, it has a profound effect on all the members of the family.
 


Rainbow5RAINBOWS was developed to provide children, youth and adults an opportunity for support after their painful loss.

Since it is necessary for emotional healing to take place after a significant loss the purpose of the support groups is to provide those grieving an opportunity to share their feelings in an accepting environment, supported by trained, caring and compassionate adults.

The aim of RAINBOWS is to furnish the participants with an understanding of their new family unit; to assist in building a stronger sense of self-esteem, and to direct them towards a healthy resolution of the changes that have taken place in their personal lives.

 

VISION

The vision of Rainbows is that the grief and loss being experienced by children and young people in Ireland be recognised and that they would be offered support and understanding necessary to foster emotional healing.

 

 

MISSION STATEMENT

Rainbows aims to support children and young people in their local communities as they seek to come to terms with their grief and loss. Rainbows provides the training and resources necessary to establish peer support groups

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  • Educates and builds public awareness about the growing number of children, youth and adults suffering significant loss issues in their lives.
  • Believes that grieving children, youth and adults deserve supporting, loving listeners as they struggle with their feelings and emotions.
  • Provides accredited training for all volunteers to prepare them for the commitment of assisting those bereaved.
  • Supports our volunteers and accredited sites to sustain quality delivery of services to all participants.
  • Produces high quality programmes offered at no cost to the participants.
  • Is available to children, youth and adults of all races and religions.
  • Serves as an advocate for anyone facing life-altering crises.

 


HISTORY

In 1983 RAINBOWS was formally established in Chicago, USA by Suzy Yehl Marta to provide support for children, youth and adults who were experiencing a significant loss through death, separation, divorce or other life-altering change.

 In 1988 RAINBOWS was formally established as an organisation in Ireland with the training of thirty six people to act as Registered Directors, competent to train facilitators and co-ordinators throughout the country. Since then RAINBOWS has been developed in over six hundred locations throughout the country. These locations are predominantly in school settings while some are located in parish and pastoral centres and other social agencies.

 

The National Office was established in 1997 in Loreto Centre, Crumlin Road, Dublin, to handle the overall administration of RAINBOWS in Ireland.

 

 

RAINBOWS TODAY....

Today there are approximately 650 sites established where the programmes operate. Over 60 Registered Directors provide training of co-ordinators and facilitators throughout the country, training 500 new volunteers per year. Each year around 1,800 to 2000 facilitators work with groups and 12,000 to 15,000 children and young people attend the service.