Our History
New Song Center was founded in 1989 as a nonprofit corporation by volunteers Gabrielle Lawrence, Ph.D., and Eloise Cole, bereavement specialists. It was the first program in Maricopa County devoted to supporting grieving children. Cole worked with grieving individuals and support groups, lectured and wrote about the grieving process. She died in 2005. Lawrence, a psychologist with special training in grief and loss therapy, also is an educator, writer and therapist. She has won awards for her work and speaks to professional and community groups. She remains involved in New Song, training volunteers and serving on the board of directors for Hospice of the Valley.
The need for New Song’s services is immense in Maricopa County, one of the nation’s most populous. About one million children reside in the county. According to an Arizona State University study, 3.4 percent of children experience the death of a parent, and many more experience the death of a grandparent, sibling or other significant loved one. New Song meets the needs of those families.