Bella shares her thoughts on how the Good Grief program helped after the loss of her sister Aine.
The child bereavement program titled Good Grief was established in 1988 to help children process grief after death. Because the grief cycle is unique to each child and often differs by the developmental stage of life, our bereavement programs are tailored by age. Support and care are provided by trained professionals who understand the trauma and immense suffering children are going through. All services are free of charge.
“No child here wants to be part of this awful loss club, but here they are safe to express themselves, be sad, have fun and they are completely accepted and understood by their peers as every child here has experienced a huge loss.”
— Parent of a Good Grief participant
Good Grief Line: 603-668-1207
goodgrief@friendsofaine.com
Good Grief Kids offers caring support to bereaved elementary and middle school children, ages 4-13. Groups are facilitated by trained volunteers and help children connect with other bereaved children to learn they are not alone in their sadness. Children are grouped according to age to participate in activities such as writing, art, puppet play and other child-focused programs.
• Pre-registration required
• Sessions meet bi-weekly from September to June
• All services are FREE, there is no cost to participate
Good Grief Teens is a support group created by and for bereaved high school students, ages 14-18. Teens are welcomed to a safe place to process their loss with peers who understand what they are going through. Our trained volunteers provide coping tools for the journey, helping young adults to effectively manage the emotions and sadness that follow a devastating loss.
Each session encourages young adults to process and express their grief however they feel most comfortable. Sessions alternate between on-site activities such as collage, writing or yoga and off-site adventures such as hiking, rock-climbing or exploring grief in a film.
• Pre-registration required
• Sessions meet monthly from September to June
• All services are FREE, there is no cost to participate
Parents and caregivers connect with staff in their own support group to learn how to best meet the needs of their grieving children. Groups are held at the same time and location as the child and teen programs.
The Good Grief Program was founded in 1988 by Home Health & Hospice Care, a non-profit organization who is honored to have Friends of Aine continue this meaningful work.
For more information on the Good Grief programs, please contact us today.
Cammie is an experienced social worker that meets with each of the families to help determine what services best meet their needs. She also facilitates our Good Grief Teen Group and helps to train our Good Grief Volunteers. An amazing resource and incredible asset to Friends of Aine, here is what Cammie has to say about her role:
“By age 10 I knew I wanted to be a Social Worker when I grew up. My dream was to work with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and loss. Although I have always known working with our most vulnerable population (children/Adolescents) was my niche, it was through working at a cancer center for many years that I discovered grief was my real passion. I am honored to be the Good Grief Coordinator, to work with compassionate and dedicated volunteers, and most importantly to be part of actualizing the dream of David, Christine and Bella.”
