CaringMatters Today and Every Day in the New Year!

Hope and Healing in the Season of Giving

In 2019, Michael, now a senior attending high school in Montgomery County, was initially confused about why he was approached by a school counselor and a CaringMatters Good Grief Club (GGC) facilitator with the opportunity to join a GGC. His mother, Isabella, died when he was a baby. For his whole life, the message he received was that because he never knew her, he had no right to be sad. In fact, Michael’s grief was completely valid and complicated as he grieved not only for his mother, but also for a sense of “normalcy” and the opportunity to grow up in a “happy” family.

When he joined the GGC, Michael found the validation and compassion he needed in order to move forward. He learned that his grief, in all its forms, was deserving of support. The very ﬁrst day, Michael came to understand that you grieve for as long as you love.

“I realized the pain I felt was because I loved her. The Good Grief Club allowed me to begin my path to healing and forgiveness towards everyone around me and most importantly, myself. In letting go, I was like a bird set free,” said Michael. "CaringMatters taught me that it doesn’t matter how long ago my loss happened. Some things can never be ﬁxed. They can only be carried.”

Make a Gift Now

CaringMatters’ Good Grief Clubs are offered free of charge and facilitated by trained staff and volunteers in group environments where they can meet peers who have suffered similar losses. The groups help grieving children and teens explore their feelings, develop healthy coping strategies and ﬁnd comfort and safety in learning that they are not alone.

Many grieving children and teens, like Michael, need empathy, compassion and the tools to chart a path forward. We need your continued support to ensure that these critical emotional lifelines are available when needed, not only for grieving children and teens, but also for adults and families. Your support – in all its forms - gives us the strength, inspiration and the means to be fully present for those facing increasingly complicated grief.

This holiday season, your donation to CaringMatters will ensure that our critical support services are available when needed, at no cost, for you, your loved ones and the entire community. Please consider a gift of any amount so that no one in Montgomery County dies alone or grieves without support.

Thank you for your generous support and your steadfast belief in our work. I wish you a peaceful holiday season!