Meet Angela Sorensen, Gloves for Grief Board Member

Angela Sorensen was born in Long Island, New York, on Veterans Day to two Navy veterans. The oldest of five children, she spent a lot of time helping her parents care for her younger siblings. Angela grew up on the water where her dad had a business as a lobsterman. From a young age, she would help her dad in his business, learning how to band lobsters after they were removed from the traps. A love for the ocean started as a child; it was the place she always went to and found comfort in.

Angela always had a heart for children and families, a passion that was birthed while volunteering at her childhood church, as well as a job that she got as a young adult working at the Boys and Girls Club in the after-school program in an under-resourced community. This job led to a career path in Social Work. Her first full-time job in the field was that of a case manager at a foster-adoptive agency. At this agency, Angela met her now adoptive daughter and became her mentor prior to adopting her. This experience was Angela’s first exposure to understanding the grief and loss process, but it would only be the beginning.

In 2008, at a family reunion, Angela’s uncle drowned in the ocean after being caught in a rip current, with all of the family, including his wife and two children, watching. Emergency efforts to resuscitate him failed. This day is forever etched into her mind—a day that changed the family for good, as well as her relationship with the ocean. In 2015, Angela’s younger brother of 15 months died by suicide. Jesse and his wife had just had their first son; he was only four months old at the time. This death rocked her family. Tore it apart. The grief was unbearable at times. Angela’s faith and strong support system are what anchored her through this time. She also joined a group through her church called “Grief Share,” which helped her process this loss.

Angela currently resides and is employed in Ventura, California. At her day job, Angela serves as Counseling and Advocacy Supervisor at Naval Base Ventura County. Angela also has a small private practice where she serves as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, providing therapy to various populations, including adults, children, and families. Angela has a passion for working with the military population as well as assisting families and children through various stages of the adoption process. She also enjoys working with individuals in their individual grief journeys, helping them walk through the process as they find hope and healing. Angela also serves actively at her church (City Church California), where she enjoys giving back and helping women find hope and healing through God and community

Gloves for Grief is thrilled to welcome Angela to our Board of Directors Team!