Mindful Haven
A Space for Support, Healing, and Community.
Mindful Haven was created to offer meaningful support for families navigating complex medical, emotional, and life-altering experiences. At its core, Mindful Haven is more than a program, it is a growing community rooted in connection, compassion, and understanding. We recognize that the journey many families face does not end after a diagnosis, treatment, or transition. It evolves and with that evolution comes a continued need for support, guidance, and spaces where families can feel seen and understood.
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Leadership
Mindful Haven is led by Charity Deleon, Program Director.
As a mother of seven, including children with complex medical and developmental needs, Charity brings both lived experience and professional leadership into this role. Her daughter, Sophie, lives with a rare genetic disorder and terminal lung disease, and her son, Tobias, is in remission after winning the battle with leukemia.
Her journey has shaped a deep understanding of the emotional, logistical, and long-term realities families face, not just in moments of crisis, but in the everyday weight of caregiving and rebuilding.
In addition to her personal experience, Charity brings a strong background in organization, program development, and operations. As a chef and business owner, she has built and managed her own company, bringing structure, intention, and sustainability into everything she creates.
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Our Vision
Our vision is to cultivate a space where families feel supported not only in moments of need, but throughout their ongoing journey.
We are building a community where:
• Families feel seen, supported, and understood
• Connection becomes a source of strength
• Healing is approached from multiple angles
• No one feels like they are navigating their journey alone
Mindful Haven is designed to meet families where they are, with compassion, flexibility, and intention.
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Our Approach
Mindful Haven is guided by a structured, yet adaptable framework built around key pillars of support. These pillars allow us to offer a well-rounded approach to healing and connection while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of our community.
Our areas of focus include:
• Emotional and psychological support
• Creative and expressive healing
• Holistic and wellness-based practices
• Practical guidance and empowerment
• Social connection and community building
Through these pillars, we aim to provide opportunities for families to engage in ways that feel supportive, accessible, and meaningful.
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Getting Involved
Whether you are a family seeking support, a potential partner, or someone interested in contributing to this work, we welcome connection.
For all program-related inquiries, partnerships, or support opportunities, please contact:
We are building something intentional - rooted in care,
guided by experience, and shaped by the needs of the families we serve.
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Testimonials
“My experience with Mindful Haven has been very uplifting and healing. Before this group started, I was in a constant state of anxiety and still grieving the health of my child who was then in cancer remission. Since being able to connect with other moms in similar situations and experiencing healing modalities available during meetups I have come a long way. I finally feel seen and heard and it has allowed me to move into a place of feeling at peace and I’m rarely super anxious anymore like I used to be. It allows me to have a safe space to express all of the feelings and anxious thoughts I was and do experience at times without judgement or someone saying it will get better with time, etc. It also has allowed me to participate in different forms of healing such as guided meditations. It gives me a place I can say anything on my heart and mind where I feel heard by others who have experienced medical struggles with their own children.”
Amber N.
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“Mindful Haven came into my life during one of the hardest seasons—when my son was in treatment—and it’s stayed with me long after. There’s something about being a mom of a child who’s survived a life-threatening illness that’s hard to put into words. Even with support, it can still feel isolating. As a mom walking this path, there’s a layer of this journey that people who haven’t lived it just don’t fully understand. Mindful Haven changed that for me. It created a space where I didn’t have to explain everything—where other moms just got it. It connects moms who truly understand this journey in a way others can’t.
Over time, being part of this community helped shift me from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to feeling more grounded, positive, and focused on moving forward. It helped me find my footing again and feel less alone in all of it and that’s something I didn’t even realize I needed until I had it. If you’re a mom walking this road, I can honestly say this kind of support is different. It’s real, and it matters. If you know, you know and this is a place where people truly do. 💛”
Amanda
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“I really loved to be with other moms dealing with similar situations like mine because we can learn from them or help them too. This impacted me positively because we live here alone, I don’t have any family around us, so receiving this type of support and knowing we are not alone is really helpful for us. Being part of a group that understands you and supports you in a way that not everyone does is really a big help in this hard time, normally moms often put themselves last, and having this group helps us understand that we need to think about ourselves too in order to be well and take care of our children.”
Carolina B.
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“Mindful Haven gives us moms a place to be seen, to connect with other moms in similar circumstances, and opportunities to have experiences just for ourselves for a change. The Mindful Haven events have helped me regroup mentally, better enabling me to mother my special needs son. The people in the group are what makeMindful Haven such a great asset. Their combined experiences, knowledge, and personalities make an invaluable resource. I've greatly enjoyed the classes, discussions, and outings that I've been able to attend. I'm looking forward to seeing how the group grows moving forward!”
Emily
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“This experience has given me a tool to help me grieve while talking with a therapist. Being able to spend time with other moms and exchanging helpful information. My daughter Nicole was diagnosed with PH+ ALL and went through 3 1/2 years of treatment. She was cancer free for about 3 years after and was able to have 2 beautiful boys. Shortly after having her 2nd son, she relapsed. The journey that we had put somewhat behind us came back with an urgency to get her back into remission. We had to move to Tampa temporarily for treatment leaving her boys behind with family so that she could concentrate on fighting this cancer again and get back ther babies.
Sometime during her doctor visit we met a wonderful human named Lori Griffith and she provided toys for the boys one Christmas to take the burden off my daughter’s hands. My daughter was fighting for her life at this time. She needed a bone marrow transplant, but we could not find a perfect match for her. It came down to them using my bone marrow because at least I was a 1/2 match to her. During this time Lori and her organization kept in touch with us and provided us with all the help she could provide. My daughter had her transplant and did well after transplant and was sent home but had to have daily fluids at the hospital. One morning we planned what she wanted for dinner and what she wanted to watch on TV. At the hospital she developed a fever and was told that she would have labs done and wait for results at home. We left the hospital but never made it home as we drove home, she had some type of seizure, or I thought maybe a stroke. I was told to take her directly to the ER and that is what I did. Unfortunately, my daughter was put on life support and passed away two days later. Now I not only lost my daughter but became a full-time care giver to a 4-and 3-year-old. I was devastated and during that time I was contacted by so many wonderful people offering help and Lori was one of them. I didn’t know that Lori had promised to continue financial support of the boys if something were ever to happen to her.
My daughter’s funeral was something I wasn’t prepared for. But thanks to family and friends I was able to gather funds but not all I needed for her funeral, and I remember getting a call from someone saying that not to worry that Lori and her organization would cover the rest of the costs. I was so grateful because I was able to give my daughter a proper viewing, where I couldn’t believe the amount of people that showed up for my daughter. I didn’t know she knew so many people. I was told so many stories of how they met my daughter and how much they loved her. I was proud of who my daughter was. She loved life and loved anyone she came in contact with. After her passing, I never got to grieve losing my daughter because now I had to jump into the role of caregiver to two little boys. It will be 10 years in September that my daughter passed away. It’s been 10 years that Lori Griffith and her organization have provided for the boys. Lori makes sure they have a great Christmas and takes care of their school clothes and supplies. She makes sure they have food and anything else they need. The boys are growing up and now have been volunteering for some of Chasin A Dream’s events and they love it. I have been invited to a couple of the Mindful Haven events and love it. In one of the events, I was able to share my feelings about not being able to grieve properly and thankfully Lori offered me some counseling, which I have been doing for a couple of months and have learned to deal with some of my issues. I am forever grateful to Lori and her organization, the volunteers that love the boys, all the moms that I have met along the way and for Mindful Haven getting us out of our comfort zone and getting us together to share stories and information even just a short reprieve of our daily lives. I just want to say thank you a million for everything you do.”
Wanda L.
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