Bereavement & Grief Counseling,
Community Outreach & Mobilizing,
Advocacy
Our Story...
Life After Loss A.N.D.R.E. (Ability-Navigate-Depression-Recovery- Empowerment) is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports all people with healing and accessing true empowerment through the grief process after facing loss and trauma.
On January 1, 2014, senseless gun violence resulted in the death of Andre Graydon, the son of Stephanie Draine and George Graydon, Sr. After experiencing this traumatic loss, Andre’s parents began to seek out support groups to help them cope with their overwhelming grief. They were searching for a bereavement group that not only dealt with the anger experienced by those who lost loved ones, but one that would also help them to turn their unbearable hurt and pain into hope. While blindly navigating these channels, Stephanie and George realized that there is a disproportionate amount of people who grieve all forms of loss and trauma in silence, without any effective support. This deficiency was highly prevalent throughout their neighborhood, Hempstead, NY, as well as within other underserved communities.
In 2018, Andre’s parents, Stephanie and George, founded Life After Loss A.N.D.R.E. (L.A.L.A.) to fulfill final promises made to their son and address critical needs within their community. They are working fearlessly and relentlessly to combat the gun violence public health crisis by defending our most fundamental human right: the right to live one’s life fully! Gun violence is our story, but we know it is not be everybody’s; therefore, Life After Loss A.N.D.R.E. is here to help individuals and families who have suffered all forms of traumatic loss of loved ones or within themselves.