BASIS stands for Brothers And Sisters In Support. The ministry, which serves bereaved parents and grandparents, holds a number of area support groups, but once a year a special breakfast is held to give participants from around Lancaster County and others in the surrounding area who have experienced the loss of a child a chance to meet in a supportive environment.

The 2025 BASIS Breakfast will be held at Yoder's Restaurant & Buffet, 14 S. Tower Road, New Holland, on Saturday, April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The buffet breakfast is free to attend. A freewill offering will be received near the end of the event. Those wishing to attend the breakfast must register by Monday, April 21, at http://www.hvmi.org/upcoming-events/basis-breakfast.

This year's speaker will be Lynn Eib, whose talk is titled "The Truth About Grief." Eib's life as an award-winning reporter was interrupted by a cancer diagnosis in 1990 when she was only 36 years old. Her experience with surgery and chemotherapy inspired her to follow God's call to begin the Cancer Prayer Support Group in 1991. The purpose of the group, now believed to be the country's oldest faith-based organization of its kind, was to help grievers experience the closeness of the Lord to the brokenhearted. In April of 1996, Eib became a patient advocate for her oncologist, ministering to his patients for nearly 10 years. Eib calls herself a "passionate encourager, but always a truth-teller." Eib is also the author of several books. Her first book, "When God & Cancer Meet," has been published in three languages and sold more than 100,000 copies. Eib lives near Philadelphia with her husband, Ralph, who is a pastor.

Eib's book "When God & Grief Meet: True Stories of Comfort & Courage," published in 2021, was given to Dan Steinman, BASIS director, by a fellow church member following the 2024 breakfast. Steinman quickly recognized how the content reflected the BASIS support group material. "I prayed about it," recalled Steinman, who noted that the woman who gave him the book recommended Eib as an "excellent speaker." "I trusted her judgment," shared Steinman, who scheduled Eib for this year's banquet.

Each year, a Wall of Remembrance, which was originally a portable photo display featuring pictures of the children who have died, is available at the breakfast. Last year, the photos from the wall were shown on a screen, but this year Steinman hopes the wall will be available to attendees in a digital format.

"We give attendees plenty of time to converse (before and during breakfast)," said Steinman, who noted breakfast is served at 9:30 a.m. and enjoyed until 11 a.m. Eib will speak at 11, and after she speaks, attendees may ask questions.

Steinman noted that BASIS currently holds support groups within Lancaster County in Akron, Mount Joy, Paradise, and Quarryville. The ministry is considering expanding support to include siblings who are grieving, called Kids in Grief. The program may include grief caused by divorce, separation, and illnesses. A survey on the subject is currently available at http://www.hvmi.org/sib-support-grief.

BASIS also produces quarterly podcasts on a variety of grief-related topics, which can be found at http://www.hvmi.org/hopeingrief.

Steinman pointed out that the purpose of the ministry is to be there for those experiencing loss of a loved one and that doing that in a variety of ways helps to spread comfort. "We just want to come beside people," he said. "However we do that is good."