Local Spotlight: The Community Grief Center

Death eventually touches everyone—it is a sorrow and experience we all ultimately share. That’s why the Community Grief Center believes it is so important to offer folks the opportunity to walk through grief and heal together. 

Together we have power over the isolation of grief.

According to the U.S. government statistics, approximately 36% of the population is grieving now, or has grieved in the past for a husband, wife, parent, son, daughter, sibling, or friend. Yet, this is not naturally a subject we broach socially because we may not know how. 

The Companion Model Approach

So while the Community Grief Center is not a crisis or counseling center, they offer free, specialized grief support programs based on Dr. Alan Wolfelt's "companioning model" for people of all ages who are grieving the death of a loved one. Their facilitated groups, overseen by a licensed professional counselor, bring people who have experienced a similar loss together to find hope and healing through connection. 

Since the upcoming Dia De Los Muertos holiday is a communal celebration to commemorate loved ones who have passed, the Community Grief Center is partnering with us this year to honor the holiday. At our FREE Community Celebration on 11/2 (5-7pm) at Millennium Event Center, the Community Grief Center will be sharing about their programs and leading some creative activities.

Healing with Creativity

Creative expression is a facet of several of their programs, as it presents a way to process emotion, name our abstract experience and memorialize what we cherish. Currently the Community Grief Center is midway through their Trek Program in which children and their caregivers are supported as they navigate bereavement. Over 8 weeks, 8-10 families meet to share meals and then break apart by age group to express themselves and bear witness among peers to each others’ experiences. As part of the program, participants create memorial quilts, memory boxes and leave “footprint” notes (for future participants) as part of their journey. 

About The Organization

A small but mighty non-profit, the Community Grief Center is guided by a board and Executive Director DeeAnne Zuhlke, their only paid employee. The remainder of the Community Grief Center’s staff is all volunteers–a living testament that their mission and approach deeply resonates with those they serve because many of the volunteers were at one time participants in a program.

By giving their time to this work, this band of volunteers enables the Community Grief Center to provide services at no cost to participants.

Thus, the Community Grief Center is always looking for new volunteers to help extend their reach. In particular, they would love to have more Spanish speaking facilitators to be able to better serve that demographic.

The Community Grief Center Executive Director DeAnne Zuhlke showing us the grief quilts created during their Trek Programs.

How to Help

If you are interested in supporting the Community Grief Center, visit their website to find out more about sponsorship, volunteer opportunities and their annual fundraiser coming up on December 4th.

We hope you are able to join us at the FREE Community Celebration on 11/2 (5-7pm) at Millenium Event Center, to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos!

by: Dana Buckingham