Our speaker on February 14 was Nicole Halder, who came to the sixteen-year-old Wonders and Worries as Director of Strategic Outreach after her own personal experience involving the reaction of her daughter to her mother’s serious illness. Through a number of free programs the organization helps children, ages two through eighteen, cope with the illness or death of a parent. Frequently a child’s reaction to this situation is more negative than it need be. They blame themselves or develop a feeling of being unloved. Wonders and Worries uses age related group sessions, family fun events and anticipatory support to help them deal with sickness or grief. Through these methods, a child comes to understand that it is not their fault, that they can have a conduit to communicate their feelings and they can develop skills to cope with the circumstances.
Most of the cases the organization deals with involve cancer, but other physical illnesses are involved. With an annual budget of about $1.65 million, clients in Williamson and Travis Counties, as well as, more recently, San Antonio can be served by an all-professional staff. Anyone may refer potential clients, who are contacted within three days for follow-up. No government funds are involved. Most support comes from donations and the organization’s three annual fund-raisers. It takes about $3,000 yearly to serve a family, but Ms. Halder estimates than only 30 to 40 percent of qualified families in Central Texas benefit from the programs.
