Our Stories Link Us

Embrace grief.

Equip hearts.

Empower healing.

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How to Support

Mission and Vision

Transformation & Growth

The BRAVE Family: Our mission at Bereaved Together is God-breathed — We create safe, supportive spaces for bereaved mothers, families, and supporters, offering wellness-based resources, workshops, and community spaces to help transform grief — mind, body, and soul.

Grief doesn’t have to isolate us; it can bring us together. We transform bereavement into a path of healing to honor our children and our own lives.

The BRAVE Space: Our vision is to open a wellness collective in southeastern Wisconsin — a place where the bereaved can come together to heal through various therapeutic modalities, surrounded by compassionate support.

We are building a BRAVE movement within the grief community, shifting the focus of bereavement from death to life. Together, we are BRAVE-ing grief and healing.

Values

Equip Hearts

As bereaved individuals, we know the power of adversity and heartache. We also know the incredible power of community.

We stand in the power of possibility in love with purpose through supportive values.

Bravery: Facing grief with courage and an open heart, empowering each other to move forward.

Respect: Honoring every individual's unique journey through loss, with compassion and dignity.

Authenticity: Creating genuine, transparent connections that foster healing and community.

Vitality: Shifting the focus from loss to life, nurturing wellness and personal growth through grief.

Empathy: Understanding and supporting others' pain, creating a space for shared healing and strength.

Founder's Story

Lisa Price, I am BRAVE

Experiencing my life’s greatest challenge has driven me to support the bereaved community and educate their support networks. In April 2017, I became a bereaved mom after the fatal diagnosis and subsequent death of my infant daughter, Ari. I knew her short life carried a great purpose—greater than my pain.

Ari’s death, and more importantly, her life, changed my heart forever. Ari, meaning, "lion of God" showed me what it means to be BRAVE, and to accept others in support, community, and purpose.

Through working with grief and bereavement experts, prioritizing my wellness, and undertaking the challenging ‘grief work’ to heal, I felt called to help other bereaved parents rediscover and reconstruct life after loss. I realized early on that while there were resources available right after loss—often found in the very place where your grief begins, such as the hospital—those initial supports don’t last, and the journey of grief doesn’t just go away.

In my experience, and in conversations with other grievers, I saw the need for something more—a next step, a continued resource for those who are left to live with grief long after the world has moved on. This realization inspired me to become a certified Life Coach through the Institute of Life Coach Training, specializing in grief and bereavement. As a grief wellness coach, I developed and launched an online grief support program and offered group coaching with an emphasis on overall wellness. This program and its community provided a safe yet productive space for grievers to heal, connect, and grow. It quickly led to the vision of hosting events that unite grievers for impactful experiences and meaningful connections.

With a mission to foster a culture of constructive community support, Bereaved Together was born. Our purpose is to provide opportunities for grievers to honor their loved ones’ lives by honoring their own.

Being welcomed into someone’s sacred space of grief and healing is a complete privilege. I am truly honored to share my daughter’s life and legacy through my work with our organization and this incredible community—our BRAVE family.

I am grateful for the chance to co-create a space where my daughter Ari’s BRAVE legacy lives on, where mission and vision come to life, and where I can support the bereaved in bringing possibility and purpose back into their lives.

I have big, BRAVE dreams and am excited for all that is yet to come!

Our 'BRAVE team'

Denise Opansky

With a background in merchandising for Mattel and over a decade of service at the US Department of Labor, I bring strong organizational and coordination skills to the board.

After experiencing the loss of my granddaughter, Ari, I’ve seen firsthand the need for grief support and am committed to helping Bereaved Together provide the community and resources so many families need. In my free time, I enjoy exploring nature, attending local theater, and spending time with my family and grandchildren.

Treasurer

Shelly Cannistra

As a Shorewest Realtor with a background in digital marketing, I bring over a decade of experience in client relations and digital strategy to the board.

Having witnessed the impact of loss on my loved ones, I’m passionate about Bereaved Together's mission and the vital role it plays in offering real support to grieving mothers and their families. In my free time, I enjoy yoga, biking with my husband, and spending quality time with family and friends.