Turning Heartbreak Into Hope: Grow with Sienna Foundation
- Jessica Lee
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
On 16th of June we welcomed a deeply meaningful presentation on the Grow With Sienna Giving Fund, founded by Dawn and Doug Berry in memory of their daughter, Sienna. Their story is one no family should ever have to tell, yet they have chosen to share it with courage, honesty, and love so that other families may find support sooner, speak more openly, and feel less alone.
Their work reflects the heart of Rotary’s mission. Rotary is built on service, compassion, and the belief that communities become stronger when people step forward during difficult times. Through Grow With Sienna, the Berry family has transformed personal loss into a mission of awareness, research, advocacy, and hope.
Grow With Sienna Foundation's Mission
Grow With Sienna was created after the loss of Sienna, a vibrant and high-achieving eighth grader who silently struggled with anxiety and a mood disorder. Her story is a painful reminder that mental health challenges are not always visible. A child can be smiling, achieving, participating, and still be carrying a weight that others cannot easily see.
The foundation’s mission is to address the youth mental health crisis at its roots. Through research funding, partnerships, scholarships, awareness efforts, and support for families, Grow With Sienna is working to create real change. Its impact extends through Raleigh and beyond, helping bring mental health conversations into the open and reminding families that seeking help should never be surrounded by shame.
Struggling Is Real
The presentation gave our club a thoughtful and honest look at the barriers many families face when trying to find mental health support. Even when parents recognize that help is needed, they may encounter long waitlists, limited therapist availability, and the difficult process of finding the right therapeutic fit. These delays can leave families feeling frightened, frustrated, and unsure of where to turn next.
The message also closely connected with Rotary’s values. Rotary’s Four-Way Test asks us to seek truth, fairness, goodwill, and outcomes that benefit all. Mental health advocacy asks the same of us. It asks us to tell the truth about a growing crisis, treat families with fairness and dignity, build goodwill through understanding, and work toward support systems that help every child and family have a better chance.
Why We Do What We Do
This is why community matters. We gather, listen, and serve because no one should have to carry life’s hardest moments alone. Sometimes service looks like building a playground, packing meals, mentoring a student, or raising funds. Other times, service begins with simply making space for a difficult conversation and letting someone know they are seen.
Grow With Sienna reminds us that hope can grow from heartbreak when people choose action over silence. As Rotarians, we believe in serving the community not only when the path is easy, but also when the need is tender, complicated, and deeply human. By supporting mental health awareness and organizations doing this work, we help build a community where families feel supported before they reach a crisis point.
Come and Join Us
If you have ever wondered whether one person can make a difference, Grow With Sienna offers a powerful answer. One story, shared with love, can open hearts. One conversation can reduce stigma. One act of service can help a family feel less alone. And one Rotary club, full of people who care, can help move that work forward.
There is room in Rotary for everyone who wants to serve, whether you are a planner, a helper, a connector, a donor, a listener, or the person who somehow always ends up carrying the folding table. We invite you to join us, learn with us, and serve with us. Together, we can help strengthen our community, support meaningful missions like Grow With Sienna, and continue turning compassion into action.
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