Community Support Grows
There are as many ways to grieve as there are people, and it may be difficult to know where to begin the grief healing journey. Lory’s Place offers outreach programs providing grief support to schools and organizations in our community. Greater than any advice, education, or information we can give to children who are grieving is to offer them the opportunity to connect with others going through a similar experience.
Through the generosity of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation, a $10,000 grant was awarded to expand Lory’s Place outreach to community agencies in the Benton Harbor area. The growth of the peer support groups will not only provide support to many hurting children and adults, but will help establish partnerships and friendships among organizations.
The Readiness Center, the Catholic Community Center, and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor have partnered with Lory’s Place to offer educational opportunities and grief support to many of their clients. Every month professional bereavement staff or trained volunteer facilitators meet with members at each agency to offer a peer support group. These groups allow participants to focus on their grief, in a space that is familiar and comfortable. Students are able to connect with others who have suffered similar loss and offer an opportunity for healing. When children have the opportunity to interact with one another, they feel less alone.
To learn more about the peer support groups provided by Lory’s Place, visit www.lorysplace.org/grief-support