About us

Hospice Helpers was founded by Samuel Shapiro in honor of his late mother, Terri, who lost her long battle with cancer when he was just 10 years old. As a child of a parent who went through hospice care, Sam understands the difficulty of being in that position. He, along with his team, are focused on providing the much-needed support for children who are going through the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one.

Samuel Shapiro

Co-founder

Noora Haghighi

Co-founder

Our program

Hospice Helpers works with children who have a loved one in hospice care through connecting them with a member of our team of young adults who can relate and provide support through building a genuine friendship. Our team is comprised of young adults who have been through a similar circumstance and are incredibly motivated to make a difference in the lives of those they work with.

We believe there is a "care gap" between what is currently available to the children and the level of care that they require to properly cope. While there are ample professional resources available to the children, it is often easier and less intimidating for a child to receive support from someone closer in age to them. Our team understands the need for children to feel comfortable and safe when experiencing loss. Therefore, our program is founded on the virtues of openness and honesty.

Through working closely with hospices, we connect the children who have a loved one in hospice care with a member of our team. Our team members will build a strong and sustainable relationship with the children to provide the highest level of support while being a genuine friend and someone to go to. We accomplish this through weekly hangouts where our team members and the children can discuss anything from their favorite hobbies to more serious topics such as how they are feeling at that time.

During the COVID era, we schedule all hangouts via zoom. However, we hope as time goes on and things evolve, our team can meet with the children in-person and tailor activities to their specific interests.