The Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation
The Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation pays tribute to the life of Charlotte by supporting the things that she loved, especially animals, and supporting families that have suffered the death of a child. The Foundation's programs align with Charlotte’s dreams to make the world a better place.
Charlotte’s Litter: Therapy Dog Grants
Charlotte's family wrote, "We experienced immense comfort & love from therapy dogs after losing Charlotte, an avid dog lover. We created Charlotte’s Litter to honor her and the care we received.”
The Charlotte’s Litter Therapy Dog Program advocates for therapy dog programs in educational settings and is committed to financial support for K-12 schools that provide these services. The purpose of the grant is to increase the availability of qualified dog handlers, therapy dogs, and effective programs that utilize therapy dogs in educational settings.
Charlotte’s Story: Good Dogs, Great Listeners
A common theme of the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation is the power and positive influence of animals–and particularly dogs–in our everyday lives. Two children’s books have been published to further illustrate this human and canine connection. The proceeds from our book sales directly support programs for the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation. Through our Charlotte’s Litter program, we have donated over 4000 copies of Good Dogs, Great Listeners and The Dogs of Newtown to schools and their students nationwide.
Grief Initiatives
Words from JoAnn Bacon, Mother to Charlotte, Co-founder of our organization:
"After Charlotte died, we were underwater with grief. We would fight to the surface and gulp air, only to be dragged under again. It was a cycle that would repeat over and over. There were times we were not sure how long it could continue. Would we make it? Well, the grief continues, but we are not underwater or washed ashore; instead, we support others who find themselves in murky water.
"When we rebranded the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation in 2017, we were committed to providing support to grieving parents. This new initiative re-invigorated Joel, me, and the CHB organization. Grief and bereavement support are undervalued and often overlooked for feel-good causes. We get it, grief is painful to watch, and it would be easy to look away. We thank you for not looking away. "
Veterinary Scholarship: NCSU
The Veterinary Scholarship is available to Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine interested in companion animal or equine medicine, and have a record of service to children in an educational or community setting.
"We had no idea that what we wrote in Charlotte’s obituary would provide an opportunity to see her dream of becoming a “doggy doctor” come alive in others. Our loving tribute to her life shared that she had dreams of being a veterinarian from a very young age, and this caught the attention of North Carolina School of Veterinary Medicine. In the winter of 2013, the school raised money to start a scholarship at their school in Charlotte’s memory and reached out to us for our approval. We agreed that it was a beautiful way to remember Charlotte. For us, this scholarship was completely in-line with what we hoped to accomplish with the CHB Foundation."