P23 Retreat: Solace for grieving parents

By Jenny Yu.  

The owner of a roofing contracting business creates space for parents to grieve with nonprofit P23 Retreat. 

In 2006, Cindy and Scott Shufflebarger endured a tragedy no parent ever should have experienced. Their daughter Ashlynn was born with trisomy 18, a chromosomal abnormality that altered brain communication, breathing and heart function, and passed away shortly after birth. Left to carry this impossible grief, Cindy and Scott found support and comfort in their community and their faith.  

Sixteen years later, Cindy and Scott, owners of residential and commercial roofing business Hertless Brothers Roofing, Inc., wanted to create space for grieving parents like them to take steps toward healing. They began P23 Retreat, a nonprofit that offers respite and retreat to parents grieving the death of a child.  

Based on Psalm 23, P23 Retreat provides a peaceful location and meaningful resources for couples to step away from the demands of everyday life so they can focus on grieving and healing. They serve parents who have experienced the death of a child from infancy to early adulthood, parents in the earlier stages of grief (typically within the first three years of their loss) and parents referred from grief counselors, pastors and community partners. Their goal isn’t to help parents “move on” or finish their grieving process, but rather to offer an experience of rest, reflection and solace as they continue this lifelong journey of grief.  

In 2024, P23 Retreat served 35 families on their journey of healing, hosting 13 individual retreats, two group retreats and a Bereaved Mother’s Day community event. On top of their invaluable in-person events, they also developed educational materials and started a new monthly Facebook Live grief education series. Finally, P23 Retreat offered prayer support with the help of 30 prayer team members to organize 12 prayer partners and a Facebook Live “Prayer and Remembrance” gathering.  

To create an even greater impact in 2025 and beyond, P23 Retreat needs your help. You can share your support by sponsoring a retreat, hosting a benefit fundraiser, giving a single or monthly donation, offering a matching gift or volunteering your time. One upcoming event to support is Ashlynn’s Ball, P23 Retreat’s formal benefit on August 15, 2025, in Ashland, Virginia.  

Learn more about P23 Retreat and how you can donate, volunteer or attend a retreat.