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No matter how bad the winter, spring always comes. | |
Hope Report: February 2025 Newsletter | |
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What is the "Hope Report"? The Hope Report is a bi-monthly newsletter that contains all of our organizational updates, for example: program initiatives, current supports being offered, future workshops, events and fundraisers, office closures, how we're doing and who we're supporting, and so much more! | |
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Dear Community,
As we begin a new year, we know it can come with its own challenges, especially when coping with and navigating grief and loss. The pressure to start fresh, set resolutions, and “move on” can feel overwhelming, and sometimes it’s hard to see where to begin. The truth is, you don’t have to set any resolutions or live up to expectations that don’t feel right for you.
This year, we wish for you the space to simply be. To honor the moments, the memories, and the feelings, without the need to rush through them. There’s often a push to set resolutions or start fresh, but that pressure doesn’t have to define your journey. Instead of feeling the need to achieve a certain goal, consider taking a moment to ask yourself what you truly need right now. This year, rather than striving for more, perhaps choose a word to guide you—something like balance, community, or peace—and let that word shape how you move through each day. It’s about honoring where you are and giving yourself permission to be exactly where you need to be. No need for big changes or goals—just a gentle reminder that you’re allowed to be present with your grief, your healing, and everything in between.
We're here for you, through the quiet moments and the loud ones, and we hope this year brings you what you need, exactly when you need it.
Victoria (she/her)
Social Services Manager
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Are you wanting to support us but are currently not yet able to financially donate? Don't worry, we have some other ideas for ways you can make an impact with us! | |
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Volunteer Your Time: Join us as a volunteer to support our programs or events. Email Irish (she/her) to get started!
In-Kind Donations: Contribute items like office supplies, furniture, event materials, refreshments, or services such as graphic design, printing, or marketing.
Spread the Word: Share our mission with your network on social media, in your community, or through your workplace.
Host a Fundraiser: Organize a small event, such as a bake sale, yard sale, or online campaign, with proceeds going to our organization. Organize creative fundraising activities like a talent show, virtual trivia night, or themed costume party to engage the community and raise awareness. Learn More Here.
Partner with Us: If you own a business, consider partnering with us through sponsorships, matching gift programs, or hosting a donation drive.
Offer Professional Services: If you have skills in areas like peer support/counselling, Yoga and meditation, legal advice, or accounting, consider donating your expertise and time.
Organize a Donation Drive: Rally your friends, family, or coworkers to collect items or funds for our organization.
Donate Gift Cards: Contribute gift cards from popular stores that we can use to purchase needed supplies or offer as support to those we serve.
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Host a GriefTalks Webinar: Share your expertise by hosting a free one-hour GriefTalks webinar with us. Whether your background is in grief, loss, mental health, or wellness, this is a great opportunity to provide valuable insights and support to our community. Your session can help educate and empower others while raising awareness about our cause. Email Sam (she/her) to get started!
Provide Venue Space: If you have access to a venue, consider offering it for our events or meetings at a reduced rate or for free.
Share Your Story: If our organization has impacted your life, share your experience to inspire others to get involved or donate. Share your story with Victoria (she/her)!
Host Wellness Classes: Offer free classes on yoga, meditation, or stress management to help our community members improve their well-being and resilience.
Provide Professional Workshops: Share your expertise by leading workshops on topics such as financial planning after loss, personal growth, strategies for coping with grief and building emotional strength, information on managing legal affairs and understanding wills and trusts, etc. Email Sam to get started!
Offer Creative Services: Contribute your skills in areas like photography, videography, or writing to help us create promotional materials, videos, or newsletters.
Share Your Networks: Leverage your professional or personal network to connect us with potential partners, sponsors, or volunteers who can further our mission.
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Support Updates: 2024 Year-In-Review | | |
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In 2024, we:
Had 1,159 group visits through...
223 grief support group sessions.
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In 2024, we:
Facilitated 690 one-to-one peer support sessions.
Welcomed 496 new members to the organization.
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Click on the 2024 Wrapped image or follow this link to discover the impacts we made throughout 2024! | |
Winter 2025 Grief Support Groups | |
Click the photo to view our frequently asked questions, how to register for group, group guidelines, and Winter 2025 groups, topics, and dates. This document comes attached to every group registration and can also be found on our website here.
Upcoming and Current Support Groups (ages 18+ unless otherwise noted):
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Virtual Friends and Family Loss Group: every Tuesday, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
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Virtual Parent & Guardian Loss Group: every Wednesday, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
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Virtual Partner Loss Group: every Thursday, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
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Virtual 6-week 2SLGBTQIA+ Group: February 20th-March 27th, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
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Virtual 8-Week Suicide Loss (ages 18-24): Starting March, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
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Virtual 8-Week Overdose Loss (ages 18-24): Starting March, 6:30pm-8:00pm.
Click the photo for more information on our groups and stay tuned for future email updates about new and current support groups, their eligibility, and how to register for them. Please email us at info@bereavedfamilies.ca if you have any questions about the above groups.
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Do you believe that amidst the pain and discomfort in grief, there can still be moments of hope, joy, and resilience? At the Centre for Grief and Healing, we certainly do. That's why we're on a quest to gather stories and testimonials that acknowledge the full spectrum of human experience – from the depths of grief to the peaks of hope and healing.
We welcome submissions that explore not only moments of hope and joy but also acknowledge the pain and discomfort in grief. Your story can be a beacon of light for others navigating similar challenges, showing them that healing is possible even in the darkest of times.
In addition to written submissions, we invite art-based expressions of grief and healing. Whether it's poetry, visual art, music, or any other form of artistic expression, we believe that creativity can be a powerful tool for processing and expressing emotions.
We embrace intersectional perspectives, recognizing that grief intersects with various aspects of identity and experience such as gender, disability, race, and more. We encourage storytelling that explores these intersections, providing a platform for diverse voices to be heard and understood.
By sharing your experiences, you not only offer support to others but also honor the memory of your loved one and the impact they had on your life. We're dedicated to fostering a brave and inclusive space where every story is valued and respected.
If you're interested in sharing your experiences, whether through written narratives, artistic expressions, or any other form, please reach out to us. We're here to listen, support, and amplify your voice.
Click the buttons below to learn more and to share your testimonial or story.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Click Here (or the image) to View Amanda's Spotlight!
We are delighted to share the volunteer experience of our volunteer, Amanda Yates, who has been volunteering with the Centre for Grief and Healing since Spring 2023. Amanda supports the organization through group facilitation, one on one supports, and event support! We are so deeply grateful to Amanda for all the contributions made to the organization and the grieving community!
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If you are interested in other volunteer opportunities and would like to learn about the opportunities available, please reach out to Irish Dhindsa (she/her), Volunteer Manager, at volunteering@bereavedfamilies.ca. | | |
Fundraising, Events, and Workshops | | |
We hope you enjoy these photos from Loving Memory Ceremony 2024, taken by A. Yates Photography. | |
As for our 2025 events, we are already planning Walk to Remember 2025 and are looking forward to sharing more details in the coming months!
We are also planning additional fundraising events, like Yoga For A Cause. Details to come!
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In 2024, we raised $52,620.57 for our charity, which goes a long way in helping us support our community.
Those funds will enable us to run six (6) peer grief support groups, and train fifteen (15) new volunteers!
We are so grateful for our community's support so we can continue to provide essential grief supports, free-of-charge. For more details on what we do and where funds are allocated, please take a look at our 2023 AGM report.
We have received close to $400 in donations so far in 2025 - thank you for your ongoing support!
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GriefTalks: Educational Webinars
GriefTalks are free, 1-hour webinars (via Zoom) designed to explore the many dimensions of grief, loss, identity, mental health, and wellness. These sessions aim to deepen your understanding of grief, including how it uniquely manifests in different communities and contexts, while providing a compassionate space for learning, reflection, and connection. Each GriefTalks features a unique topic and speaker, offering diverse insights, tools, and perspectives to support both individuals and professionals in navigating grief with greater awareness, empathy, and healing. Past topics have included Grief and Disabilities, Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation, Grief and Complicated Relationships, and Grief in Indigenous Communities, among many others. We host GriefTalks throughout the year, with new and engaging topics offered regularly.
Upcoming Talks:
- Understanding 2SLGBTQIA+ Grief
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss
- Grief Is Like a Tidal Wave...
- Permission to Grieve: Rebecca's Grieve Leave Story
- Motherhood and Grief: Navigating the Heart's Deepest Wounds
- Navigating Grief and Relationships After Loss
- Rediscovering Ourselves: Grief, Identity, and Life After Loss
- Grieving Through the Holidays
While these webinars are free to attend, we encourage donations when registering to help us sustain this programming, which is not funded. Your support allows us to continue offering these valuable opportunities for connection, learning, and growth.
Join us for a GriefTalks to expand your understanding of grief and discover new ways to support yourself and others.
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Get to Know Us!
We've recently had some wonderful meetings with other organizations in the Halton and Peel regions, and we're excited about the opportunity to collaborate with them this 2025 year!
We are also excited to offer and virtually host a free 30 to 45-minute "Get to Know Us" meeting with organizations and professionals interested in learning more about us and the work we do. If you are from an organization and are interested in inviting us to a meeting, please contact us at: outreach@bereavedfamilies.ca.
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As the demand for our free grief supports grows, 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 to run individual grief support sessions
- $33,652+: minimum investment to run grief support groups
- $15,660+: minimum Administrative costs
- $3,320+: minimum investment to run 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.
Your investment enables us to continue to provide free and accessible supports. Unlock the power of your compassion and invest in grief support, today.
To learn more about how we utilize your donations and where they go to, please connect with Julia (she/her), Executive Director and Kelly (she/her), Fundraising Manager, at: executivedirector@bereavedfamilies.ca and fundraising@bereavedfamilies.ca.
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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (I.D.E.A) | | |
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I.D.E.A Organization Statement
Fostering Hope and Healing for All Walks of Life.
We've come a long way since 1989 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.
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Actionable IDEA Steps We're Taking:
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Establishing an IDEA Committee: We are in the process of forming an IDEA Committee, which is set to launch soon. This committee will be dedicated to fostering a more inclusive environment within our organization and ensuring we are consistently working towards our IDEA goals.
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Developing an IDEA Webpage: We are working on launching a dedicated IDEA webpage that will be released shortly. This page will outline our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, highlight our past accomplishments, and set forth our goals and future initiatives to continue improving in these important areas.
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Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the land on which we gather, and where the Centre for Grief and Healing (BFO-H/P) operates. This land has been and is still inhabited by many Indigenous Peoples since the last Ice Age which was 13,000 years ago. In particular, we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabek-Ojibway/Chippewa, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The land that is home to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. We are grateful to now be on the land that is the land of Indigenous Peoples since time began.
The land we are on is under the stewardship of the Mississaugas of the Credit, who are the signatories of the treaty and holders of the area. We recognize that the land we are on was taken away through colonization, oppression, and expropriation. In the hopes for a better future and building relationships, we recognize, require, and honour what is in the truth and reconciliation report and the calls to action. We acknowledge and are grateful for having the privilege of being where we are, for this land, and for the Indigenous Peoples who have and continue to inhabit this land.
This Land Acknowledgment was created in collaboration with Indigenous Elder, Cat Criger.
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Black History Month Reflections
As we embrace Black History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the history, achievements, and contributions of Black communities, we invite you to join us in reflections on grief within the context of Black experiences. This month is not only about celebration but also acknowledging the challenges and losses experienced by Black communities throughout history. Let's engage in meaningful reflections that resonate with our shared community spirit.
Reflective Questions:
- What cultural practices or traditions bring you comfort during times of grief? How can these practices be shared and celebrated within our community?
- Reflect on self-care practices that empower you as an individual. How can we encourage and celebrate diverse self-care approaches within our community?
- What steps can we collectively take to ensure that our grief support initiatives are culturally safer and address the unique needs of Black individuals and families in our community?
- How can you actively contribute to creating an inclusive and welcoming space within our grief support groups?
- In what ways can you actively listen and learn from the grief experiences shared by Black individuals in our support groups? How can this enhance your understanding and support for others?
- How can you help create space in groups where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported?
- What steps can you take to keep educating yourself on the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, culture, and grief, and how can this knowledge be applied in your daily interactions?
Let's embark on this journey of reflection and learning together. Here are a few books and resources to explore this month, tailored to our community's needs:
If you have any resources you would like to share with us, we highly encourage it!
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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).
As a small yet powerful women-led and gender-diverse team, we take pride in our unique perspectives and leadership. 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!
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Additional Updates - Our Students | |
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Rebekah:
Rebekah has been instrumental in several initiatives, including working hard on exploring options for a larger venue for our Conversations of Hope event, as we prepare for its expansion. She has also been creating engaging social media posts to promote our GriefTalks and working closely with Sam to develop a comprehensive list of services available in the Halton and Peel regions for community access. Additionally, Rebekah is exploring grant opportunities for 2025 to support our programs. As she completes her HBSW program in April, Rebekah is excited for the next steps in her professional journey.
Erin and Sair:
Erin and Sair have been diligently working on the 2SLGBTQ+ group programming, which is set to run in February. Their contributions are vital to the success of this upcoming initiative!
Other Student Helpers:
Our other dedicated students have been supporting the organization in various ways, including assisting with administrative tasks, intake processes, facilitation, and resource development. Their efforts continue to strengthen the work we do.
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Donor Spotlight: About Tasha Oree | | |
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Occupation: Instructional Designer with Employment and Social Development Canada
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Connection to our Cause: Tasha connected with CFGH because she was going through her own loss and found comfort in having those around her that understood her pain. It helped Tasha to open up, connect and provided a safe space to heal.
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Why she gives: Tasha supports CFGH because it provides a compassionate space for individuals to heal, connect, and find hope during one of life's most challenging times. It offers the support, resources, and understanding that can make a profound difference for those navigating the difficult journey of loss.
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Fun fact: Tasha enjoys archery and watching wrestling.
We are incredibly grateful for Tasha’s support and commitment to improving health and wellness outcomes in the Halton-Peel community. Her generosity is making a real difference!
Email Kelly Price (she/her), Fundraising Manager, at fundraising@bereavedfamilies.ca if you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Donor Spotlight, and/or if you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive our monthly Donor Impact Reports. These reports provide a monthly overview of the meaningful accomplishments and progress we've made to-date for the current year.
If you'd like to make a donation please visit: www.bereavedfamilies.ca/donate.
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Expressing Appreciation for Our Generous Funders and Community Support! | | |
Feedback, Comments, Suggestions | | |
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Comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments can always be forwarded to Victoria (she/her) at programs@bereavedfamilies.ca. Anonymous feedback can be submitted to us here: www.bereavedfamilies.ca/contactus.
Partnership opportunities, event support inquiries, and donation inquiries can be forwarded to Kelly (she/her) and Julia (she/her) at fundraising@bereavedfamilies.ca and executivedirector@bereavedfamilies.ca.
Looking to volunteer? Please contact Irish (she/her) at volunteering@bereavedfamilies.ca with your interest.
All other inquiries (intakes, group registrations, getting set up with us) can be forwarded to Sam (she/her) at info@bereavedfamilies.ca.
Our next Hope Report will be sent in April 2025. Our Care Corner: Wellness Newsletter will be sent in March.
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