Our History

History of the Richard Lambert Foundation

How it began

Richard Lambert Foundation (RLF) began when two bereaved parents, Susan and Jaime Chavez, identified the need for grief counseling and support services in the community that they grew up in and still live in today. On September 4, 2012, Mr. and Mrs. Chavez unexpectedly lost their 26-year old son, Richard, to pneumonia and an accidental overdose. Susan and Jaime Chavez found themselves with nowhere to turn for support to help them begin coping with their son's heartbreaking death. Grief support specific services were not easily found in their community when they were in need and most vulnerable. After extensive searching and numerous calls, Susan and Jaime eventually found grief support services, which provided life-sustaining tools for hope.

Through their grief, the couple recognized they were not alone in experiencing this debilitating situation. Susan and Jaime found there was a great need for affordable, grief-specific support in Colorado. With this heartfelt passion and deep desire to fill a gap in the community to serve grieving families and those facing barriers to health care access, the vision of the Richard Lambert Foundation Family Grief & Healing Center was born. 

In 2013, the Richard Lambert Foundation was established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose vision is that every adult, child, and family will never grieve alone in silence and receive access to exceptional care and support through life-changing losses and events. Partnering with a grief counselor, they created a free workshop for families impacted by death, which began RLF support services. Within a short time of providing free support groups, it was evident; there was significant demand for one-on-one grief therapy, which the organization began providing in March 2015.

RLF provides low-cost therapy to children, adults, couples, and families through a sliding fee scale with rates starting as low as $10. The sliding fee scale enables RLF to reduce fees for community members in need due to income or financial hardship, ensuring families have access to receive the mental health support they deserve by empowering them to afford care. Additionally, RLF provides various free group support programs helping participants connect with peers living with similar challenges that grief brings. Support groups empower individuals as they begin to relate to others, precisely because of the common conditions, problems, and aspirations they share through their life after loss.

As a grassroots organization RLF founders had a great passion for their mission. They set out to provide the most outstanding grief support services possible to give each survivor of loss the most significant opportunity for hope and healing. 

RLF has a diverse working board of directors committed to helping sustain the organization. RLF has grown to a project of interest that reflects a strong base of community support. Richard Lambert Foundations' future is filled with possibilities.