SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Blooming Hope was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with open hearts. Greenhaven Neighborhood Church hosted the Sunday afternoon gathering in March.

What started as a simple idea, gathering to make bouquets, became something much more meaningful. Moments like these remind us how powerful community can be, especially for families carrying loss.

The Olivia Chan Foundation is a nonprofit corporation organized by her parents, Reina and Mel, along with their family, to create a safe environment where families and children feel supported and understood while navigating grief. 

“We understand that each person experiences grief in their own way, and as a result, families and children often struggle to navigate their loss, feeling alone and isolated,” Reina said.

“We want to create a supportive community for individuals on their grief journey through peer-facilitated activities, with the hope that one day they can rediscover small moments of happiness,” Mel added. 

Blooming Hope also served as an opportunity to promote the third annual Brewing Hope fundraiser taking place Saturday, April 18 at Movement Brewing. 

Reina said, “It is more than just a night out; it’s a community-powered celebration of healing, hope and compassion.”

Featuring local craft beer, live music, a silent auction and inspiring stories, the annual event brings people together to support children and families navigating the pain of grief. 

“Every ticket purchased directly funds grief support programs in the Sacramento region,” Mel Chan told guests, inviting the community to come together on April 18 to raise a glass, lift spirits and make a lasting impact.

Reina added, “After discovering the Dougy Center, Mel and I flew to Portland to get trained. They’re an amazing organization and have been a huge support for us.”

The Dougy Center is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that offers support groups and services for grieving children and young adults. Its peer-support model made it the first program of its kind in the United States. The organization serves approximately 400 children and 250 adults from the Portland metropolitan area each month, free of charge.

Founded in 1982 in tribute to Dougy Turno, who died of a brain tumor at age 13, the center has supported more than 20,000 children and their family members since its establishment.

Reina and Mel’s goal is to bring the Dougy Center model to Sacramento by training all team members and volunteers in its approach.

The Olivia Chan Foundation also aims to establish a grief center. 

Mel said it would be “a physical place that children and families can visit, where we can implement all these programs free of charge for the community.”

“We’re excited to invite you to Brewing Hope 2026 on Saturday, April 18. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. at Movement Brewing, 11151 Trade Center Drive, Suite 104/105, Rancho Cordova,” Reina and Mel said. 

Tickets are available at oliviachanfoundation.org.

We always wanted a family, but after four years of heartbreak, disappointment and failed IVF attempts, we knew having children naturally wasn’t in the cards. So, we began the adoption process. In 2008, we brought home our son, Nicholas. In 2012, we welcomed his sister, Olivia.

She weighed just 5.5 pounds but made her presence known from day one. We had nine precious years with her before a rare and aggressive cancer took her from us. 

“Your daughter is the 1%,” the doctors said.

Olivia was joy in human form. She was fun-loving, spunky and quick to laugh; a girly girl and a tomboy all at once. She loved rainbows, unicorns, mermaids and dresses, but also wrestled with her brother and played tackle football with her dad. She loved dancing, hugging and playing everything, bike riding, soccer, Uno, arts and crafts, and video games with Nic. She even taught herself to beatbox and was amazing at it.

Olivia loved making people laugh. She wanted every night to be family night, especially if it meant board games where her competitive spirit could shine. 

She loved fiercely and deeply, and that love made her a healer, even at nine. She stood up for others, championed the underdog and offered comfort with a hug and a kind word. She never wanted anyone to hurt. She wrote notes to lift people’s spirits, even the mailman’s.

She simply wanted everyone to be happy.

In her spirit, we created this foundation: to help others in their time of need, to lift them when life feels darkest and to guide them when the world no longer makes sense.

Olivia was everything: tender, sweet and full of spunk... just like a sprinkle cookie.