About JOeY Foundation
The JOeY Foundation was created in memory of Joseph “Joey” Hedke with a simple but powerful belief: no one should have to grieve alone.
We provide grief education, support, resources, and meaningful opportunities for connection—creating spaces where people can remember, share, heal, and find JOeY again. We also help family members, friends, educators, and others learn how to better support the grieving people in their lives—to become what we lovingly call Grief Warriors.
The Downriver Holiday Tree Walk is a beautiful extension of that mission: bringing our community together to remember those we love while creating new traditions, sharing stories, and finding light and JOeY during a season that can be especially difficult for those who are grieving.
As JOeY Foundation continues to grow, so does our dream of creating a permanent home in our community—a welcoming space where grief support, education, gatherings, creative programs, and connection can happen throughout the year.
Grief deserves a voice. Healing deserves a home. And no one should have to grieve alone.
As JOeY Foundation continues to grow, so does our vision for the future: a permanent JOeY Foundation Grief Center right here in our community.
This welcoming space would allow us to expand beyond the resources, education, school programs, workshops, and community gatherings we offer today—providing peer support groups, art and music therapy, programs for children, teens and adults, family gatherings, and other meaningful opportunities for healing and connection.
We envision a place where grief is understood, love is remembered, connections are made, and every person can find the support they need.
A place for grief. A place for healing. A place to find JOeY.