a beacon amid the darkness
Dealing with the death of a loved one is the toughest challenge a youngster ever faces.
Loss brings incalculable sadness.
It can stress, debilitate, devastate even the most well-adjusted child.
Coping in the moment, then moving on as a new reality unfolds can be a monumental task, for there is no timetable and often little predictability when one’s emotions are laid bare.
Stephen Drake, Collegiate class of 1992, and his wife Allyson understand those painful facts of life, and in September 2008, after two-and-a-half years of planning, they launched the Full Circle Grief Center, whose mission is to offer support and counseling to bereaved children and provide creative ways for them to deal with their sorrow.
“Allyson wanted to dedicate her life to tackling the overwhelming need to provide grief support for our community,” said Drake, who has a B.S. in marketing from James Madison University and has worked for Capital One, Carmax, and Circuit City.
“As she came up with the vision, I began to see it as my goal, my opportunity, to help out and make a difference.”
A Richmond-based non-profit, Full Circle has developed partnerships with a host of local health-care organizations as well as numerous schools and churches.
Since its inception, it has touched the lives of 103 children and young adults through its free-of-charge “Hands On Healing” counseling sessions, all of which are conducted by licensed professionals.
“We’re still building an infrastructure that can support the need for our services,” said Drake.
“We’re proud of the relationships we’ve build with organizations, like Bon Secours, who have helped us extend our reach into the community.”
Allyson Drake, a University of Virginia graduate who earned a master’s in counseling from VCU and worked 7 years as an elementary school counselor in Henrico County, is the executive director of Full Circle.
Her husband is the business director.
“At first, I had trepidation,” Stephen Drake said, “but as I’ve jumped into it, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than helping somebody through their darkest times.
“Allyson and I are committed to making this work.”
Their latest venture is the Jake MacNelly Classic, a wiffle ball tournament honoring the 1990 Collegiate graduate who died October 12, 1996, in a rock climbing accident.
On one level, it’s a fund-raiser for Full Circle’s therapeutic arts and play programs.
On another, it’s an opportunity for many of MacNelly’s childhood friends to assemble for fun and recreation and rekindle memories of a witty, artistic, creative, dynamic, eternally upbeat guy who was also an inveterate sports fan.
It’ll be played Saturday, October 24, in his mother Rita’s back yard, long ago dubbed the MacNelly Outdoor Arena, the site of many a pickup whiffleball, football, and basketball game in simpler times.
“This is probably the most meaningful thing I’ve done,” said Drake. “It shows Jake’s family that we haven’t forgotten him and that we want to memorialize him.
“Every aspect – a semi-competitive event followed by a cookout – is through the lens of how Jake would want it.
“It’ll be an annual thing. I can’t tell you how excited I am.”
Though their task is formidable, the Drakes have high hopes for their organization and have planned virtually every detail, including the name, with meticulous care.
“It actually has different meanings,” said Drake. “In a figurative sense, at the center of the circle is the person who needs support.
“There’s the concept of an unbroken circle of support if you’ve suffered a loss.
“And there’s the idea that you’ve come full circle, it’s a new life, and you’re moving forward and bringing yourself out of the darkness.”
