Carson's Village

A nonprofit organization

$13,236 raised by 122 donors

53% complete

$25,000 Goal

After the tragic loss of his 11-year-old son Carson, Jason Dyke realized that no organization existed to help families navigate the difficult journey from the loss of a loved one to the funeral. His loss, and that of so many others, inspired him to start Carson's Village.

More than 8 million people suffered the loss of a family member last year. Inevitably, those people struggle with the decisions they face after the death of their loved one. Families are left to search for resources, including how to find a funeral home, how to pay for the services without going into debt, and how to manage their vulnerable mental health state. The lasting impact of this crisis and gap in services is leaving families with long-term, expensive mental health challenges and often unnecessary financial debt and distress.

Carson's Village is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization designed to provide support during the difficult times following a loss. 

How Carson's Village Can Help

Through a Carson's Village counselor, or Advocate with a Master's in Social Work, the family will not only be advised on key choices related to the funeral but also provided financial coaching and will intervene with mental health service referrals at any sign of distress. Families benefit from a number of free resources like:

- A live Advocate greets the family with compassion and identifies their goals for burying their loved one. 

- They listen closely for signs of mental anguish and recommend services to support the family's needs. 

- They guide the family in making choices about the funeral and coach them on financial implications with an eye toward preventing and reducing debt. 

- They make the family aware of the Carson's Village website which houses a library of resources, timelines, and guides, available in a variety of languages. 

- They can set up a Family Page that the family can share with their network to communicate, raise money, and coordinate volunteers. 

- Carson's Village also hosts grief support groups and peer-to-peer grief support for two years after the event.

During the COVID pandemic, Carson's Village helped families who lost a loved one to the pandemic as well as helping all families navigate the challenges social distancing placed on end-of-life matters to find creative and meaningful ways to honor their loved one. 

Today, Carson's Village is growing quickly, serving more people and even partners with Baylor Scott & White Medical System and Houston Independent School District. 

To date, Carson's Village has helped nearly 5,000 families, with nearly 70% from very low-income households. Carson's Village also places significant emphasis on expanding Spanish-language support resources to better support everyone in our community.

Our Needs

Carson's Village is growing and needs both volunteers and financial resources to deliver services to families across North Texas.

Carson's Village volunteers can help the organization in a number of ways, from telling our story to supporting us in the community. For more information, visit https://carsonsvillage.org/villager-signup/.

Those who are interested in donating can help the organization with a generous financial gift:
$1,000 - Provides training for front-line personnel on how to properly support families in need utilizing the Carson's Village programs.
$500 - Provides technology tools to assist families in creating physical and virtual ways to celebrate their loved one.
$250 - Provides group support and peer-to-peer services to someone struggling with grief.
$100 - Provides virtual Advocate support to families planning a funeral.
$50 - Provides the development of online bereavement resources to families in need.
$25 - Provides informational materials to five partners that can be distributed to families in need.

Mission

Carson's Village helps families navigate the journey to healthy grieving after the loss of a loved one.

Needs

Carson's Village needs your financial support so that we can serve as the Village for families in their greatest time of need. Thank you for your continued investment in our work.

We also have volunteer opportunities in our Peer-to-Peer grief support program. In this program, volunteers who have lost a loved one are trained to work closely with those experiencing grief. Their support, in addition to other grief tools, helps normalize and humanize the grieving experience.

Equity Statement

Carson's Village is committed to creating a platform that ensures greater equity and accessibility for all people making end of life decisions and beginning their grief journey, regardless of race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, physical or developmental ability, nor any other category protected by applicable state, federal or local law.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Carson's Village

Tax id (EIN)

82-1854361

Guidestar

Causes

Mental/Behavioral Health, Social Services

Operating Budget

$100,000 - $249,999

Counties Served

Dallas, Grayson, Wise, Tarrant, Somervell, Rockwall, Parker, Palo Pinto, Navarro, Montague, Kaufman, Johnson, Hunt, Hood, Fannin, Erath, Ellis, Denton, Cooke, Collin

BIPOC Serving

Native American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American

BIPOC Leadership

Neither/None

Equity Statement

Equity Statement

Address

2904 Floyd Street
Dallas, TX 75204

Phone

877-789-0722

Social Media