Unmasking Grief: Faces of Judi’s House
Just as every face is unique, so too is the grief journey of every person. Judi’s House unmasks grief by making space for connection through shared joy, sorrow, laughter, and tears.
For more than a year, we all have gone to great lengths to protect one another from the impacts of COVID-19. We grieved personal and collective losses and learned just how important connection is to healing.
Will You Help Us Unmask Grief?
As the world slowly settles into a new normal, demand for bereavement care and services will only increase. A recent study estimates parental bereavement has increased 20% due to COVID-19 alone. Without appropriate and timely support, grief can derail a child’s development and tear families apart. Judi’s House/JAG Institute is prepared to care for the individuals left in the pandemic’s wake.
We all have an opportunity to be good neighbors to grieving children and families. Making a gift today can help unmask grief that will allow others to share their stories of loss, bringing comfort and care when they need it most.
Meet Erika, Pat, and Chelsea, members of our community helping unmask grief.
Erika Solis, Bilingual Grief Care Coordinator
“During my initial interview at Judi’s House, I saw the quilt squares hanging on the walls and began to see the stories and complexities of grief unfold. While working here, I have come to understand there is no one way to grieve. When a family seeks grief support from Judi’s House, I hear a sense of hope in their voice after I explain our programs and relief that services are free. I can’t tell you how much those feelings mean when their world feels upside down.”
Pat Fitzgerald, Companion Volunteer
“Working through grief is absolutely necessary and you won’t know the impact it will have on you if you don’t process it. I have supported various age ranges, from little kids to high schoolers in my volunteer role. I have seen lives transformed when kids sit down and process their grief. Being in groups for 10 weeks, you see changes happening – it is night and day. Any place that supports that work, I want to be a part of it.”
Chelsea Little Thunder, Former Judi’s House Client
“I first came to Judi’s House as a teen after my father’s passing. I would have been lost without that support. I returned five years later with my son and little sister after my mother’s passing. The kindness and support shared by participants were some of my best memories. All emotions were welcomed and understood. It was unbelievably helpful for my son to meet other children with a similar experience and become friends with them. It helped make his loss more bearable.”
Your gift today will help us continue to provide critical care to grieving families at no cost, create a more grief-aware society through workshops and education initiatives, and produce resources to drive innovation with bereavement champions locally, regionally, and nationally.