Fall 2020 Hope Report
Today is National Bereavement Day
In honour of National Bereavement Day, we wanted to share our Say Their Name campaign that we launched in 2019 to normalize grief and encourage individuals to say their loved one's names, loudly and proudly.

Check out our Say Their Name campaign video.
Event Updates
Loving Memory Ceremony 2020
Join us for our first ever Virtual Annual Memorial Event, the Loving Memory Ceremony. The LMC offers our community a way to remember and pay tribute to their loved ones. This event includes: a scroll of memories, musical tributes, poems, and impact speakers.

Date & Time:
Tuesday, December 1st, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Zoom links Will be Provided Upon Registration
Program Updates:
Groups & One-to-Ones
Grief Support Groups

Our Grief Support groups are run by trained volunteer facilitators, and we are currently offering a Mixed Loss Group, a Child Loss Group, and a Partner Loss Group (all ages 18+). Our grief support groups provide our participants with opportunities to discuss topics around grief, such as triggers, coping with special occasions, maintaining ongoing connections, sharing our stories and much more, all while connecting with others going through similar experiences. All groups are being run online via Zoom, and participants can register via email at info@bereavedfamilies.ca.

Mixed Loss Group:
Every Tuesday from 6:30pm-8:00pm

Child Loss Group:
Every other Wednesday from 6:30pm -8:00pm

Partner Loss Group:
Every other Wednesday from 6:30pm-8:00pm
One-to-One Supports

Our one-to-one supports are available to all individuals ages 6+ and are currently done via phone or Zoom.

We are currently adding some incredible volunteers onto our team that will be able to offer one-to-one supports in different languages as well!

To book your next one-to-one support session email info@bereavedfamilies.ca.

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Volunteer Spotlight:
Rachael, Group Facilitator
"My goal has always been to support others during their time of grief. One of my favourite parts of volunteering with the Centre is continuing to learn and build relationships with the staff and participants.
 
One thing about grief and bereavement that I would like participants to know is that they are not in this alone. There are others who have gone and continue to go through grief - there are so many supports available to help everyone during this time!
 
My suggestion for new volunteers is to remain passionate in supporting others, be open minded, allow oneself to learn and grow and always be mindful of any biases."
Meet the Board:
Mayuran, Board Member
  1. How long have you been volunteering with the Centre For Grief & Healing (BFO-H/P)? I started in January 2019 - hard to believe I'm coming up on 2 years as it feels like yesterday!
  2. What made you want to volunteer with us? Having dealt with loss both personally and vicariously through close friends, I firmly believe in the very important work that BFO does. So, when the opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance to be of some service.
  3. What do you like most about your role on the Board? I love that everyone in the organization wants the same thing - to help those who have experienced loss in all ways and forms, compassionately deal with their grief and move towards healing. I also appreciate the diverse skills and experience that each member brings to the Board, both personally and professionally; it allows for a well-balanced perspective. 
  4. What has changed for the organization since COVID (grief issues in general) and what are your hopes for the organization for the year ahead? I think the pandemic-driven isolation has intensified how we all experience grief. A big part of dealing with grief (or any kind of mental and emotional pain) is through connecting with others - so when you take that away, or limit it, it can make it that much harder to deal with. Having said that, I'm very proud of how quickly the team has adapted to these circumstances to continue providing this essential service to our communities. Going forward, I'm hopeful that we can expand our reach to help all communities, including those communities where it may not be the norm to seek help in dealing with grief. While this may be ambitious, I believe we're in a really good place right now to make this happen. There's a natural and collaborative energy between the Board, our Executive Director, and the fantastic team that makes it all happen. I'm humbled and proud to serve this organization and excited to see what we will accomplish in the year ahead. 
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