In 1992, Lilly Julien’s 20-year-old daughter Michelle was killed in a car accident.
The death sent Julien into a period of grief that was lessened by the support of others.
The support of others, along with a dream in which Julien’s daughter came to her, inspired her in 1999 to found COPE, an organization intended to aid Nassau and Suffolk County families deal with the loss of a loved one. The organization’s mission is spelled in its name COPE, which stands for Connecting Our Paths Eternally,
“By helping others, I helped myself,” Julien said in a statement on COPE’s website. “I hope that COPE can be a source of comfort, safety and understanding while supporting each other and staying connected to your loved ones.”
COPE is now celebrating its 25th anniversary and continues to offer free services, including support groups, counseling services, and workshops.
COPE is designed to be the first point of contact for those experiencing grief, said Adam Rabinovitch, COPE’s executive director.
Rabinovitch said the foundation has resources available for those who need them and knows where to direct people if COPE is unable to help.
“If we are not the right fit, we know a lot of people,” said Rabinovitch. “So we can always be that community navigator to point people in the right direction.”
The foundation has helped thousands of Long Island families in the past 25 years.
“The need is not going away,” said Rabinovitch.
COPE offers free services to all its patrons. The organization aims to be as accessible and inclusive as possible, and free programming is just one of the ways they hope to do so.
“[We have] found many community supporters,” said Rabinovitch, “which allows us to offer programs free of charge to families historically, for the past 25 years, and for the foreseeable future.”
“These programs are meant to be accessible and inclusive, [with] no barriers to entry, financially or otherwise,” Rabinovitch said.
The foundation offers three areas of programming, including support groups, healing workshops, and camp retreats.
Support groups are offered on an ongoing basis and have licensed clinicians on staff to facilitate group discussions. Rabinovitch said the organization tries to create small, intimate discussions. These groups are offered both in person and virtually. Each group has about 10 participants.
Healing workshops encompass all programming, including music therapy, art therapy, yoga and mindfulness workshops. These programs cater to different interests.
“We really try to find facilitators and professional presenters who can help people and give them tools in their grief journey,” said Rabinovitch. Group instructors vary depending on programming and expertise.
Camp retreats are offered to kids and teens through Camp Erin NYC. This combines tools for grief support and outdoor activities. Adult retreats are offered through COPE at the same time for those who want a similar experience.
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish for all three types of programming. This addition aligns with COPE’s aim to be as inclusive as possible.
For more information, please visit www.copefoundation.org.
“I’ve been a nonprofit leader for the past 15 years and [worked in] other career paths before that,” said Rabinovitch, “And this is the most meaningful work I’ve ever done.”
