|
|
In the enchanting light of midsummer, find harmony and balance for mind, body, and soul. | |
Hope Report: Midsummer 2023 Newsletter | |
|
In the coming months, we aim to maintain transparency as we undergo internal changes that may lead to minor delays in certain areas. Your understanding and patience during this time are greatly appreciated as we navigate these adjustments, always prioritizing our commitment to delivering the best possible support for everyone. | |
Join Us on September 30th at Lakeside Park
Our signature fundraising event, Walk to Remember, is only two months away!
Join us on Saturday, September 30 from 10:00 a.m. EST to approximately 1:00 p.m. EST at Lakeside Park in Mississauga for a day of connection, hope and remembrance.
Registration is open for teams and individuals, and it's free to join! Walk/run/cycle, etc. to raise essential funds for the organization so we can continue to provide our services for free.
Honour a loved one who passed away by raising money in their name. You can wear something to commemorate them at the event, or, since our Walk to Remember is taking place on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, you may choose to wear an orange shirt to honour the Indigenous children that were forced to attend residential schools, and to honour their families and communities.
You are welcome to do the 5km walk whenever and wherever you'd like from now until September 30. Some people opt to do the walk on their own time in addition to joining us in-person when we gather as a community on September 30.
We'll have a 5km route mapped out for participants on September 30. This is a rain or shine, and dog-friendly event!
| |
Please note we do not own the song "Lakeside Park" by Rush, nor do we intend copyright infringement. We are simply sharing this song as it holds a special connection to our upcoming event, which coincidentally is being held at Lakeside Park! | Pictured here: Lakeside Park, Mississauga. | Explore Lakeside Park’s waterfront, leash-free zone, spray pad, trails and play structure. This park also features a beautiful red rock beach, open lawns & walking paths, and so much more. | | |
If you have any questions about the Walk to Remember, please reach out to Kelly Price, Fundraising Event Specialist, at [email protected]. | |
Every donation of $20 or more is eligible for a charitable tax receipt. | Unsure of how to get started with fundraising as a team or individual? Visit our website for support and helpful tips! | |
Help Us Reach the Top!
As we journey towards new heights in providing free supports, your generous contribution will be the guiding force that propels us upwards. Every donation makes a tremendous impact, allowing us to continue operating our charity and extending our compassionate reach to those in need. Let's climb together and conquer our goal! Join us in this uplifting journey and be a part of something truly special. Together, we can scale new heights and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. 🌟🏔️
Your support is vital: for every $8,230 we raise, we can run a support group. For every $207, we can train a new volunteer. So far, we have raised $1,589.00 and have 27 participants and 13 teams signed up. Your support so far has allowed us to train 7 new volunteers, which is huge. Volunteers are essential for helping us deliver free supports to those in our community.
This year, we have a goal of raising a total of $100,000 so we can continue to provide grief supports. Let's keep the momentum going.
Register, donate and spread the word today so we can provide essential support to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one! Visit our website here to get started with us: www.bereavedfamilies.ca/walktoremember2023.
Keep your eyes open for our upcoming virtual silent auction!
| | |
For the next 3 days, your donations to Walk to Remember will be matched up to $500!
| Be a Champion of Change. Share our fundraising drive with your inner circle and amplify our impact together! | |
Support Updates: January - July 1st 2023 | | |
|
From January 10th-July 1st we've:
Supported 540+ group members through...
108 grief support group sessions.
| |
|
From January 10th-July 1st, we've:
Facilitated 542 one-to-one peer support sessions.
Welcomed 253 new members to the organization.
| | |
Open/Ongoing Support Groups | |
Click the photo to view our frequently asked questions, how to register for group, group guidelines, and Summer 2023 groups, topics, and dates. This document comes attached to every group registration and can also be found on our website.
-
Virtual Mixed Loss Group: every Tuesday, 6:30pm-8:00pm
-
In-Person Mixed Loss Group: 3rd Monday of every month, except holidays and closures
-
Virtual Parent & Guardian Loss Group: every Wednesday, 6:30pm-8:00pm
-
Virtual Child Loss Group: bi-weekly Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8:00pm
-
Virtual Partner Loss Group: every Thursday, 6:30pm-8:00pm
| |
NOTE:
Please note that from September 4th to September 14th, we will be taking a short break from our support groups. During this time, we will be dedicating efforts to program evaluations and making the best use of our available resources as they are limited. We understand the significance of our support groups, and this interval offers an opportunity for all of us to practice coping strategies and engage in self-care. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to resuming our groups on September 18th, refreshed and ready to provide the care you deserve.
| | |
Griefwise: Tips and Insights for Grief and Healing | | |
Balancing the need to grieve while also moving forward in life. | |
|
Grief is a complex and individual experience, and it's crucial to acknowledge and embrace your emotions during this difficult time. Give yourself permission to feel a range of emotions, such as sadness, anger, guilt, and confusion. Research shows that allowing yourself to express and process these emotions can lead to healthier long-term outcomes in grief.
Practice Emotional Regulation: Learn techniques to manage overwhelming emotions effectively. Mindfulness practices, deep breathing exercises, and grounding techniques can help you stay present and centered during moments of intense grief.
Understand the "Dual Process Model": Grieving individuals often navigate between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented processes. Recognize that it's normal to oscillate between mourning and engaging in activities that promote healing and adaptation to life changes.
Seek Support from Empathetic Listeners: Connect with friends, family, or support groups where you can freely express your feelings without judgment. Engaging in open conversations about your grief with understanding listeners can foster healing and promote emotional well-being.
Engage in Meaningful Remembrance: Find creative and personalized ways to honor your loved one's memory. See below for memorial ideas to do in the summertime.
Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind and gentle with yourself throughout the grieving process. Avoid self-criticism and unrealistic expectations for your healing. Research shows that self-compassion can lead to greater emotional resilience and acceptance during grief.
Engage in Physical Activity: Incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine. Research has shown that exercise and movement can have positive effects on mood and mental well-being during the grief process.
Create Meaningful Rituals: Rituals can provide structure and comfort during times of grief. Engage in rituals that hold significance for you and your relationship with your loved one.
Develop a Support Network: Surround yourself with individuals who offer understanding, compassion, and support. Cultivating a strong support network can help alleviate feelings of isolation and promote healing through shared experiences.
Remember that each person's grief is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. It's essential to find coping strategies and support that resonate with your individual needs and experiences.
| |
Memorial Ideas for the Summer |
-
Picnic Memorial: Host a picnic in a serene outdoor location that held significance for your loved one. Invite friends and family to share stories and memories while enjoying nature and each other's company. For accessibility, choose a park with accessible facilities.
-
Remembrance Garden: Create a memorial garden filled with your loved one's favorite flowers and plants. Designate a corner of your yard or a community garden space to honor their memory.
-
Virtual Memorial Gathering: Organize a virtual memorial event where friends and family can join from anywhere in the world. Use video conferencing platforms to share memories, light virtual candles, and play their favorite music. This option accommodates people who may have difficulty traveling or attending in-person gatherings.
-
Beachside Memorial Ceremony: If your loved one had a special connection to the beach, consider holding a memorial ceremony by the water's edge. Create a small memorial with pictures, flowers, and meaningful objects. Ensure accessibility by choosing a beach location with wheelchair-friendly paths and ramps.
-
Memory Walk or Hike: Organize a memorial walk or hike in a scenic location that your loved one enjoyed or always wanted to visit. Participants can walk together or independently, reflecting on memories and the impact your loved one had on their lives.
-
Walk to Remember Event: At the end of Summer, we have our annual Walk to Remember fundraising and commemorative event. We will have multiple memorial ideas you can participate in with us or during your own time during the event. We hope to see you there!
| | |
Finding Hope Again, Together. | |
Do you believe that there can be moments of hope and even joy amidst the pain and challenges of grief? At the Centre for Grief and Healing, we do. That's why we're searching for good news stories and testimonials of hope, resilience, and healing from individuals who have found ways to cope and thrive after experiencing the loss of a loved one.
By sharing your experiences, you can inspire and support others who are going through similar challenges. You can also honor the memory of your loved one and the impact they had on your life. We're committed to creating a brave and supportive space for you to share your story. If you're interested in sharing your experiences or have any questions, please reach out to us. Let's celebrate resilience and strength together.
Click the button below to learn more and to share your testimonial or story with us!
| | |
Uniting Through Music
Music has the extraordinary power to heal, uplift, and connect us in profound ways. Today, we invite you to become a part of our Spotify playlist project and share your favorite songs that bring you comfort or joy and/or that remind you of your loved ones.
We're curating two (2) powerful Spotify playlists alongside our other ones.
The first playlist is meant to be a source of comfort, solace, or joy – a collection of songs that have helped you find peace, happiness, or joy during challenging times and/or times of grief. The second playlist is a tribute to your loved ones – songs that remind you of them, celebrate their lives, and keep their memory alive. Feel free to contribute to one or both playlists. *We kindly ask you only submit up to 2 songs per playlist for now.
Please avoid explicit or offensive content. Our aim is to create a space where everyone feels embraced and understood.
While we cannot guarantee that all songs will be posted (should they be explicit and/or offensive), each submission will be screened before being carefully curated into our Spotify playlists. At a later date, we will share the final playlists so that everyone can find solace and connection.
Your participation is entirely anonymous, so feel free to share your selections with utmost sincerity.
| | |
|
Patti has been a volunteer with the Centre for Grief and Healing since February 2022 and has supported the organization by facilitating support groups. We are beyond grateful to Patti for the contributions made to the community, participants, and the organization.
Amanda has been a volunteer with the Centre for Grief and Healing since March 2023 and has supported the organization by facilitating various support groups, which includes all our open groups and a closed cancer loss group. We are beyond grateful to Amanda for the contributions she have made to the community, participants, and the organization.
We appreciate you and express gratitude for supporting the grieving community, Patti and Amanda! 💛💜
| If you would like to volunteer with us, please contact our Volunteer Manager, Irish, at [email protected]. | | |
Join Us in Honouring Loved Ones | |
Registration for Walk to Remember is still open.
Walk/run/cycle/hop/skip etc. to raise much-needed funds for the organization, so we can continue to provide grief supports free-of-charge for those in our community who need them.
| | |
Fallon Farinacci is Red River Métis and a child survivor, advocate and speaker for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+. Fallon testified in the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, sharing her story of loss and trauma. | |
|
Upcoming GriefTalks on October 5th - Register Now!
Join us for our GriefTalks: Genocide, Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Folx on Thursday, October 5th, 2023, from 7:00pm-8:00pm EST.
Registration is completely free. www.bereavedfamilies.ca/grieftalks-fallonfarinacci.
The Zoom link will be sent via email once you register.
| |
Save the Date!
Join us for an event on Saturday, November 18th that we're hosting with the Distress Centres of Greater Toronto to mark International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. The event, called Conversations of Hope: A Day of Remembrance and Renewal, will honour those left behind as well as those we have lost to suicide.
| |
The event will be taking place at Long Branch Legion (3850 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke) from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST. Registration and additional details to come, so please stay tuned! | |
|
You Shared, We Listened
Embrace Winter Wellness! In response to your valuable feedback about our annual office closure during the last 2 weeks of December, we are excited to announce our first-ever (and free) 1-hour virtual workshop, "Nurturing Your Grief in Winter". This special workshop includes conversations on coping with the holidays and winter wellness. The date is to be determined, but the workshop will be held during the week of December 18th, either on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.
Your input matters, so please let us know your preferred time of day and day to attend by selecting an option in our polls here. We want to ensure we provide support that aligns with your needs during this time of year.
Our annual closure this year will be from December 18th-January 2nd with groups resuming the week of January 7th.
| |
| What time of day works best to attend our free, 1-hour virtual workshop in December? | | |
| What day works best to attend our free, 1-hour virtual workshop in December? | | | |
|
As the demand for our free and accessible grief supports grows rapidly, your support becomes invaluable. Every donation helps us continue providing essential services to those facing the challenges of grief.
Transparency is our commitment, and your contribution makes a significant impact:
-
$35,023+: minimum investment for individual grief support sessions
-
$33,652+: minimum investment for grief support groups
-
$15,660+: minimum Administrative costs
-
$3,320+: minimum investment for GriefTalks, our free TedTalk-like webinars featuring subject matter experts on grief and healing themes
You can donate today through our official donation channels here. Also, if you know now that you can't attend or participate in Walk to Remember this year, but would still like to contribute, you can donate here.
Your investment enables us to continue to provide free and accessible supports. Unlock the power of your compassion and invest in grief support, today!
| | |
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility | | |
|
I.D.E.A Organization Statement
Fostering Hope and Healing for All Walks of Life.
We've come a long way since 1988 and still have a ways to go. Why? At the Centre for Grief and Healing (CFGH), diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility don't have an end date. We strive to foster an unending commitment to learning from, working with, creating programs for and supporting our diverse community members and their unique grief experiences. Our team is dedicated to including diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible practices at the center of our daily work. We commit to using and improving these practices for our organization and for our communities.
Our team provides mutual, inclusive support through diverse programming, endless advocacy, and community education. We strive to foster belonging and empowerment for all of our members, staff, volunteers, and students. We listen to and engage with all walks of life and we value and welcome all unique experiences and qualities: both visible and invisible. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our purpose and to our impact.
Join us in embracing and celebrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for all people in all communities.
We grow together today, to create a better tomorrow.
IDEA: Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility.
| | |
Our Centre for Grief and Healing (CFGH) Team | | |
Greetings to all new members joining us! | |
As we continue to welcome new members to the organization, we wanted to say hello and welcome to the Centre for Grief and Healing (BFO-H/P).
We are delighted to introduce Kelly, our dedicated Fundraising Event Specialist, who joined our team earlier this year. If you're interested in supporting us through fundraising and events, feel free to reach out to Kelly!
Additionally, we extend a warm welcome to our Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) students, Amanda and Rachel. Amanda will be supporting us until the end of September, assisting with administrative tasks, intakes, and providing one-to-one support. Rachel will be with us until mid-Summer, collaborating with Kelly on upcoming events and marketing efforts. Our heartfelt gratitude to Canada Summer Jobs for their invaluable support!
As a small but powerful women-led team, we cherish the immense contributions of our incredible volunteers. To learn more about us, click here, and don't forget to explore our Volunteer Recognition Wall, showcasing the generosity and dedication of our fantastic volunteers!
| | |
Grateful for Our Generous Funders and Community Support! | | |
Feedback, Comments, Suggestions | | |
|
Comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments can always be forwarded to Victoria at [email protected]. Anonymous feedback can be submitted to us here: www.bereavedfamilies.ca/contactus. Interested in having us run our Navigating Through Grief Workshop for you and your team/workplace/business/school? Reach out to Victoria to learn more.
Partnership opportunities, event support inquiries, and donation inquiries can be forwarded to Kelly and Julia at [email protected] and [email protected].
Looking to volunteer? Please contact Irish at [email protected] with your interest.
All other inquiries (intakes, group registrations, getting set up with us) can be forwarded to Amanda at [email protected].
Our next Hope Report will be sent in October 2023. Our Care Corner Wellness Newsletter will be sent in September 2023.
|
| | | |
