- National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers Support Network
-
The National Students of Ailing Mothers & Fathers Support Network is the only nonprofit organization whose mission is to support all college students with an ailing or deceased loved one, empower all college students to fight back against terminal illness, and raise awareness about the needs of grieving college students.
They accomplish their mission by helping students to develop chapters of Students of AMF on college campus nationwide, providing information and support through their website at www.studentsofamf.org, hosting the annual National Conference on College Student Grief, and holding fundraising events- including the annual Boot Camp 2 Beat Cancer.
Contents
Campus Chapters
Through a national marketing campaign, National Students of AMF seeks motivated students and faculty members to start Campus Chapters at their university. National Students of AMF continues to financially support the creation and sustenance of Campus Chapters.
Online Support Services
National Students of AMF's website will provide a place for grieving college students to interactively support one another. Additionally, students will be able to receive expert advice from mental health professionals through chat rooms and blogging.
Conferences
The inaugural National Conference on College Student Grief will be held in August 2008 in Raleigh, NC to bring together student, faculty, and administrative leaders from around the country to engage in a discussion on the issues of grieving college students and what needs to be done to support these students. This conference will also bring together leaders from each Campus Chapter of Students of AMF to discuss their experiences and effective ways to sustain the group on their campus.
Fundraisers
The National AMF Weekend is held annually in August in Raleigh, NC and includes the Boot Camp to Beat Cancer and AMF Banquet. The 2006 AMF Weekend raised over $20,000 and the 2007 AMF Weekend raised over $40,000!
History
Following the loss of David Fajgenbaum's mother, Anne Marie Fajgenbaum (AMF), to Brain Cancer in October 2004, he decided to create an outlet for students, who like himself, were suffering in silence-without support. Students of AMF began as a support group for 10 of David's peers and quickly grew into a support network that involves over 400 members of the Georgetown community. Currently, there are four programs that bring together the entire academic community take a unified and integrated approach to supporting these young adults. The Support Group brings together students who can share with other students in a safe, comfortable, and uplifting environment. The Service Group provides an opportunity for grieving and non-grieving students to join together in the fight against terminal illnesses. The Angels Program pairs faculty "Angels" with students in the support group to provide mentoring. The SAINTS Program provides mentoring to children in the community who have experienced a loss. Georgetown Students of AMF was recently named the University's "Outstanding Direct Service Program."
The national statistics indicated that this issue extended far beyond Georgetown. It is estimated that between 35-48% of all college students are grieving the death of a family member or close friend from within the last 24 months. Following inquiries from students and administrators from around the country about expanding Students of AMF, we decided to create the National Students of Ailing Mothers & Fathers Support Network in April 2006. The goal is to empower and support all grieving college students across the country by creating other campus chapters, providing interactive e-support on their website (www.StudentsofAMF.org), awarding leadership scholarships and research grants, holding conferences on college student bereavement, and hosting fundraisers. Already students and administrators from more than 20 universities have contacted AMF about starting a chapter of AMF on their campus.
In the media
National Students of AMF broadcasted on the Today Show on April 19, 2008[1]
National Students of AMF featured in Reader's Digest April 2008 issue[2]
David Fajgenbaum and National Students of AMF featured on the back of 20 Million Cool Ranch Doritos (May 2007–Present) [3]
David Fajgenbaum wins 2007 BRICK Award[4] for his work with National Students of AMF ("the Oscars of youth service awards" - CNN). The BRICK Awards honor and fund change-makers age 25 and under who identify problems in their communities, and then do something to change their world.[5]
Story on Georgetown University Medical Center Homepage - December 2006 "David Fajgenbaum: Leading by Example" [6]
References
Categories:- Non-profit organizations based in the United States
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.