This month’s shoreline moment comes from the simple act of getting out on the water.
At our August Resilience Ride, families launched their kayaks from the shoreline at Anastasia State Park and moved together across Salt Run in a quiet rhythm. The tide was gentle and the air felt soft, creating space for reflection and steady movement. There was a calm strength in every paddle stroke, and a shared understanding among everyone on the water.
August also brought quiet mornings of paddleboarding and time spent learning, balancing, and moving at a slow pace. Launching from the shore and easing into the water offered the same sense of grounding we feel during our group rides. These moments reminded us that resilience can grow in both community gatherings and simple one‑on‑one experiences on the water.
Whether in a kayak or on a paddleboard, time on the water continues to show us how healing can begin with small motions, gentle guidance, and the courage to push off from the shoreline.
This is the heart of Tidal Resilience. Gentle, grounding, and shared.
Top Actions This Month
If you only take two steps with us this month, let them be these:
Support our Remembrance is Resilience shirt fundraiser — Your donation helps us continue offering nature-centered healing experiences for families navigating deep loss. Every shirt carries meaning and directly supports our programs.
RSVP for the September Resilience Ride — Join us at Gamble Rogers State Park for a free, guided kayak experience created for families moving through grief. Your presence helps build the community that makes these mornings so meaningful.
This month, we are honored to spotlight Tracey, a steady and generous presence who has become an important part of Tidal Resilience’s early growth. Tracey reached out with an interest in volunteering, and from the very beginning she has offered her expertise, her experience, and the kind of heart that helps our mission grow in meaningful ways.
Tracey brings extensive experience from her work with Camp Comfort Kids, and her understanding of grief‑informed support has already strengthened the way we serve families. She recently volunteered at our August Resilience Ride, offering encouragement, calm energy, and a grounded presence that helped create a welcoming space for everyone on the water.
We are deeply grateful for Tracey and for the way she shows up with compassion, curiosity, and a true commitment to helping families feel supported. Her involvement reflects the community spirit that keeps Tidal Resilience moving forward.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT:
TRACEY HORMUTH
Q: What inspired you to support Tidal Resilience Foundation?
As someone who lost my parents at a young vulnerable age, I have sought ways to engage with programs that are designed to help young people to connect with others who are also experiencing loss and on their grieving journey. It is a lonely place to be and often an aspect of life when going through grief especially as a teen you keep to yourself, not wanting to be different, or to make others uncomfortable hearing about your loss and especially don't want people to feel sorry for you. Programs like Tidal Resilience create space for young people to understand they are not alone and to find a tribe of others who understand parts of your journey, gain a set of coping skills and a healing vocabulary while learning how to honor and remember your loved one through life transitions.
Q: What part of Tidal Resilience Foundation's mission resonates most deeply with you?
the sentence in the mission statement, "rediscover moments of joy and move toward healing with support" I began volunteering with the national non profit grief support program Comfort Zone Camp shortly after it started over 25 years ago. I have been a big buddy to a grieving child. sometimes two at over 30 camps. I have participated in silly games, challenge courses, talent shows, arts and crafts, making smores, singing songs witnessing the deliberate activity flow allowing kids to be kids, find joy, be silly, try things they didn't think they could accomplish with laughter, confidence building and teamwork. Sprinkled in during the same camp weekends we also participated in multiple healing circles where children were able to share their stories of loss, their favorite memories, pass around pictures, share how things have changed at home, with their siblings and other familiy members in a supportive, engaging atmosphere. Parents often gave us feedback that the children they picked up from camp seemed lighter, more confident and supported. It is an honor as a big buddy to be trusted to walk beside a young one on their journey towards resilience, strength and fortitude. These resources didn't exist when I was a teen. I have learned so much from the strength, adaptability and resilience I have witnessed from the participants in these programs
Q: When you think about resilience, what does it mean to you and your family?
having a significant loss as a child puts you in a club you never wanted to be a member of. Over my several decades volunteering in grief programs, I was introduced to the Japanese pottery concept of "Kintsugu: Beauty in the Broken This style of pottery may be the most perfect embodiment of all our trauma shattered lives... instead of throwing away the broken beloved pottery, we'll fix it in a way that doesn't pretend it hasn't been broken but honors the breaking - and more so the surviving - by highlighting those repaired seams with gold. Now the object is functional again, dignified and beautiful, not disgarded. Its stronger and even more valuable because of its reinforced golden scars . The imperfections are what make it beautiful and valuable. The broken piece is more authentic, real, stronger and more resilient than something that has stayed pristine. " Vaneetha Risner.
Q: What do you hope Tidal Resilience Foundation brings to families and youth in our community?
I am very interested in seeing Tidal Resilience Foundation bring fun, opportunities and activities that meet children wherever they are on their grief journey, allowing sharing, learning, support and skill building to allow the participants yo experience that they are not alone and there are others out there who want to listen, be present and walk along side them however briefly on their journey.
Q: Is there anything you’d like others to know about why supporting this work matters?
1 in 11 children in the US will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. This work matters.
Thank you, Tracey, for sharing your story and for supporting Tidal Resilience Foundation.
Community Connections
A look at what we are learning, listening to, and exploring this month
Each month, we will highlight a resource, story, or conversation that deepens our understanding of grief, resilience, or the ocean. These are the voices and ideas shaping the way we support families and build TRF’s programs.
What We’re Reading
This month, we’re spending time with two books from Jeff Christian’s Pizza Day series: Cooking with Belief, Hope, and Confidence and Lucy’s Secret Sauce. Both stories follow Mrs. Rock, a caring third grade teacher who is determined to help her students listen with empathy, think deeply, and grow in self‑reflection. Through the simple ritual of Pizza Day, she teaches her class how to move past blaming and teasing, and instead rise together with kindness and understanding.
In the second book, we meet Lucy, Mrs. Rock’s boxer dog, who becomes a steady source of comfort and love for the students. Just as sourdough needs a starter to rise, Mrs. Rock’s students learn that they too have a “starter” within them. Each child carries a unique “secret sauce” that helps them grow, stay grounded, and share their gifts with the world.
Why It Resonates with Tidal Resilience Foundation
Jeff Christian’s work mirrors the heart of Tidal Resilience in a beautiful way. His stories remind us that growth often begins with small, intentional practices. A shared meal. A caring adult. A moment of empathy. A dog who offers comfort without needing words. These are the same kinds of gentle supports that help grieving children rise, connect, and feel seen.
The idea of a “starter” is especially meaningful. Just like sourdough, resilience needs nurturing. It needs community. It needs moments that help us rise again. The Pizza Day series shows how simple rituals can create belonging, strengthen emotional awareness, and help children understand their own inner strengths. This is the work we strive to do through Resilience Kits, Resilience Rides, and every family connection we make.
These books remind us that healing does not have to be complicated. It can begin with something as simple as showing up, sharing space, and believing in the goodness within each child.
About the Author
Jeff Christian is a husband, father, registered nurse, basketball coach, and the host of the podcast Life’s Essential Ingredients. He is also the founder of the nonprofit organization C4 Leaders, where all proceeds from his books support their mission. C4 Leaders uses pizza and pizza making to build community at no financial cost to participants, although donations are always appreciated.
C4 Leaders is known for its team‑building work. If you are interested in helping your team communicate better, build trusting relationships, and grow in coachability, Jeff is a wonderful person to reach out to.
Karen, founder of Tidal Resilience Foundation, recently sat down with Jeff for a conversation on Life’s Essential Ingredients. You can watch the episode here:
Watch the conversation below
August Tide Update
A simple, honest snapshot + what we’re working on + what’s coming next
Where We Stand
August has been a meaningful month for Tidal Resilience. Our second Resilience Ride brought families together on Salt Run for a morning of gentle movement, connection, and shared strength. We continued building our support pathways, expanded outreach, and welcomed new families into our community.
What We’re Working On
→ Preparing for our September Resilience Ride at Gamble Rogers State Park
→ Continuing outreach to families navigating deep loss
→ Strengthening partnerships and exploring business sponsorship opportunities
→ Building our volunteer network for fall programming
→ Ongoing kit assembly for the upcoming school year
What’s Coming Into View
Our September Resilience Ride is approaching, and we look forward to another morning of connection on the water. This free, guided kayak experience is designed for families moving through grief, and we are grateful to welcome both returning and new participants.
Sunday, September 20 Gamble Rogers State Park 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Lunch included. No cost to participate. We still have spots available!
We continue to assemble and organize materials for upcoming Resilience Kit deliveries. Each kit offers tools for comfort, connection, and emotional support. Families can request a kit at any time, and community members can sponsor a kit to help us reach more children. We are working to distribute kits to schools across Northeast Florida for the 2026–2027 school year.
Our Remembrance and Resilience Community Wall is now live and open for submissions. This shared space invites families to honor loved ones and feel connected to others who are navigating loss. The wall already holds messages from our Waves of Hope 5K community, and it continues to grow into a meaningful extension of our mission.
Families are welcome to visit, read the reflections that have been shared, and add their own message whenever they feel ready.
We continue to build a list of volunteers who want to support TRF as we grow. If you feel called to help with events, family meetups, kit assembly, or future programming, we would love to connect.
If you’d like to make a financial contribution to support our early growth, you can donate directly through our website. Every gift helps us build a strong foundation for the year ahead.
Prefer to shop instead? You can also support Tidal Resilience Foundation through The Tide Market, where every purchase helps fund our mission to support bereaved youth through ocean‑inspired healing and resilience practices.
The Tidal Resilience Foundation (TRF) is a Northeast Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families navigate the complexities of grief through the grounding and healing power of the ocean.
By blending emotional support with movement, nature, and community connection, TRF provides safe, meaningful spaces for young people to process loss and build lifelong resilience.
Through its signature Resilience Weeks, Resilience Rides, and the Strength Beneath the Waves curriculum, the foundation partners with schools, counselors, and coastal businesses to ensure no child has to navigate life’s unsteady tides alone.
Rooted in lived experience and a deep belief in the power of community, TRF is committed to helping every young person rediscover the joy and strength that lives within them.
For more information, visit
www.tidalresilience.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tidalresiliencefoundation.
2026 Theme: EMERGENCE
A year of rising, beginning, and stepping forward with clarity and care.
As Tidal Resilience Foundation grows from its shoreline beginnings, this theme reminds us to move with intention, humility, and hope.
