Open to Hope, Inc. (“OTH”) is a non-profit resource existing to inform, educate, and support individuals regarding grief, loss and the bereavement process. Information contained in or made available through this site is not meant to be a replacement or substitute for the services of trained professionals including, but not limited to, medicine, psychiatry, counseling, bereavement specialists, or clergy. Users should immediately seek professional help if needed. Information contained in or made available through this site is not designed to replace an existing provider-patient relationship.

The information and services offered by OTH are provided “as is” and without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, OTH disclaims all warranties, express or implied.

OTH assumes no liability for the outcome of user-to-user communications, dealings, meetings, or other interactions. You are advised to exercise caution, especially with respect to your private information (i.e. addresses, phone numbers, etc.)

All content on www.OpentoHope.com is intended to help people find hope after loss. Each author owns the copyright to his or her work. If you have any interest in reprinting, excerpting or otherwise using their work, please obtain permission directly from each author. Each reprint must include the following language: “Reprinted with permission from www.opentohope.com and [the author’s name] © 2014.” The author’s name should also appear in the article byline. No profit may be made from the distribution of the material contained on this website. Thank you for respecting our writers and their work by adhering to our policy. We appreciate your compliance and support in sharing our material.

Content is posted immediately upon submission, and is monitored to the extent possible by the Open to Hope website team. Any content deemed inappropriate or violating the terms and conditions of this website will be subject to immediate removal, and repeat offenders will be blocked from future submissions.

This site may include interactive forums such as message boards and chat rooms (the “Forums”). Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.

OTH retains the right to reject content that OTH, in its sole discretion, deems inappropriate, or to ban individuals whose behavior is likewise deemed inappropriate within any Forums.

OTH is unable to assure the accuracy of the content generated by its users and volunteers, many of whom use anonymous screen names and with whom officers, directors, members, staff, volunteers or others involved with OTH have no official relationship. Therefore, users of the Forums and this site should handle the information generated by fellow users with appropriate caution. Users should consider any information and advice given by other users, including medical advice, with caution. OTH cannot guarantee the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any information provided within the Forums.

OTH, its officers, directors, members, staff, volunteers and others involved with OTH are not and will not be responsible for any misleading, false, or otherwise injurious information and advice communicated in the Forums or for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user’s reliance on information and advice gained through the Forums.

OTH’s site may contain links to third party websites. OTH has no control over the privacy policies and collection practices of those sites, and OTH is not responsible for their content, collection and use of information, or freedom from errors or viruses. It is your responsibility to know when you are linking to a third party site and to inform yourself of the privacy policy and information collection practices of those sites. When you access these third-party websites, you do so at your own risk. If you “click” on such a link, you will be directed to another website. Be aware that in doing so, you are leaving OTH’s website. OTH’s policies apply only to its own website. You should consult the linked website’s privacy statement for information on their privacy policy.

OTH wishes to be respectful of its users’ privacy while managing the realities of maintaining and developing its website. In order to better serve its users and to adequately maintain its website, OTH may automatically collect information on its server logs from your browser including your IP address, cookie information, and the pages you visited on OTH’s website. OTH collects no personal data except what you supply as part of your request for information, services, or when you make a donation to OTH.

Any personally identifiable information submitted by you is kept strictly confidential and is only used by OTH to provide the information or service that you requested and, possibly, for fundraising/marketing efforts of OTH. OTH will not sell or rent lists containing your information to any third party. OTH may disclose information when it has your permission to do so or under special circumstances, such as when it believes in good faith that the law requires it.

When charge card payments are made on the website, your payment and personal information is always safe. Our Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software available for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read over the Internet.

While OTH wishes it could guarantee that all data transmitted to it over the Internet is 100% secure, it cannot make this guarantee. Therefore, regrettably, all transmissions are at your own risk. Once OTH receives your information, it will endeavor to ensure its security on its systems.

This site is for adults over the age of 18

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy statement, you may contact us at:

Open to Hope, Inc.

E-mail: opentohope@me.com