Volunteers are the HEART of The Garden. They are the first to come and the last to leave…2009-2010 Garden volunteer facilitators at our Memory Meal. From left to right: Adam Schoenfarber, Cerji Colvin, Norma Kent, Ginny Dwyer, Mike Epstein, and Shelly Bathe Lenn.
Upcoming Events @ The Garden:
2010 @ The Garden Outreach Series will take place at the HRYMCA located at 286 Prospect St. in Northampton, MA and includes:
January 24, 2009 from 2-5 p.m.
Open House at The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens. As part of the Grand Re-Opening at the Hampshire Regional YMCA, families can come in and learn more about The Garden programs. Decorate a flower in memory of someone special and enter our free raffle; pick up a packet of forget me not seeds to remember a loved one by; find out about volunteering; or peruse resource materials. Free.
February 21, 2010 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Performance by The Children’s Room Teen Performance Troupe. As part of the acclaimed Children’s Room bereavement program in Arlington, MA (www.childrensroom.org), teens learn to process and express their grief through the medium of theater, creating amazing shows in the process. On the 21st, the Teen Performance Troupe will travel to Northampton to perform short skits, monologues, and more. Q&A to follow. Free.
April 1, 2010 from 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Reading and Q&A with author Carole O’Malley Gaunt. Springfield native Carole O’Malley Gaunt, author of Hungry Hill: A Memoir, will tell her own moving story — how as a teen in the 1950’s both her parents died with in two years, and she became the family’s caregiver. Q&A to follow. Free.
June 6, 2010 @ 8:30 a.m.
11th annual fundraiser, “A Walk/Run to Remember.” The Garden’s annual fundraising event is open to the public — all runners and walkers are welcome! Starting and stopping at the Hampshire Regional YMCA, the 5K road race/1 mile walk is followed by refreshments, prizes, and great family entertainment.
For more information, please contact Shelly Bathe Lenn @ The Garden; 413 584 7086 413 584 7086 ext 124, slenn@garden-cgc.org or visit www.garden-cgc.org
The Garden — A Center for Grieving Children and Teens is a non-profit agency providing support
to young people and their families, a place to talk about loss
and help parents and guardians learn how to help their children
through their grief. Children respond differently to
death than adults, but they grieve as much as any grown up and
benefit from a caring, knowledgeable environment.
At The
Garden, our focus is the child - and our programs and discussion
groups are geared toward helping young people identify and share
their feelings and begin the healing process. Yet the program
is for the whole family: while groups of children get together
to share stories, feelings, and memories with each other, parents
and guardians meet separately for a chance to discuss their
own concerns facing them and their families. Groups are facilitated
by carefully selected and trained volunteers who encourage an
exchange of feelings, ideas and support through discussions,
arts and crafts and recreational activities.
One thing we know: children don't grieve in a "gloomy" way -
which is sometimes why their grieving process is overlooked
in the first place. At The Garden are designed to be
fun, while also teaching kids effective and important coping
skills.
All programs and
services at The Garden are free. However,
participating families are encouraged to make a monthly contribution
in an amount that is comfortable. We are committed to making
our program available to everyone. We rely on the generosity
of our volunteers and the community we serve to keep it that
way. If you are interested in making a donation to
The Garden (financial or in-kind), please call us at 413-584-7086
ext. 124.
To sign up for The Garden,
please call 413-584-7086 ext. 124 or send
us an email; we would be happy to discuss the
program with you in more detail, and answer any questions
you may have. All families are welcome. |
