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Hello. We sincerely hope that you and your family are keeping safe during these crazy Covid times.
In an effort to keep our community safe & healthy, The Garden is available via telephone and online for referrals, intakes, consultations, and community resources. Please don’t hesitate to reach out! Call Director, Shelly Bath Lenn at 413 727 5749 or email at slenn@cooleydickinson.org.
Follow us on our Facebook page where we are updating our page with information and links for supporting grieving youth and their families.
Since You’re Gone
The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens
The Garden provides support to grieving young people and their families following the death of someone close, including parents, siblings, other family members or friends. We run programs and host discussion groups geared toward helping young people identify and share their feelings, and to help them begin the healing process. Parents and guardians meet separately for a chance to discuss their own concerns as the family unit navigates the grief journey.
The Garden runs two programs annually at its Northampton location, an 8-week session in the fall and a 10-week session in the spring. In addition, our services are increasingly accessible through area schools via guidance offices and other programmatic or incident-specific counseling efforts within each school or district.
The Garden offers this service free of charge, but it is not a free program to run. We rely 100% on donations from individuals, businesses and a variety of development activities. The Garden has served over 400 families since it was founded in 1998 by Barbara Weiner-Dubeck.
To learn more about The Garden, contact Shelly Lenn at The Garden at (413) 582-5312 or email us HERE.
If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities at The Garden, click HERE to download an application.
VIDEO: Shelly and Dr. Jonathan Schwab discuss ways to share a grieving process
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does The Garden work with kids? : Yes, The Garden works with kids and their families following the death of someone close.
How old are the kids at The Garden? : 5-18 years.
Are kids at The Garden remembering kids? : Some are, some aren’t. At The Garden kids are remembering someone close who has died (e.g. parent, sibling, grandparent) and for teenagers we welcome those remembering a close friend.
Do adult caregivers attend The Garden? : Yes, all youth must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. Adults attend so that The Garden can support them as well.
At The Garden does everyone meet together? : After an opening circle all together participants break up into small groups based on age. Our groups: Kids in grades K-2nd, grades 3rd-5th, middle school, high school and adults.
What happens in the groups? : Kids participate in planned activities, projects, and games that connect to our pre-set themes and are meant to support them in their grief. The adult group is more discussion-based, allowing for the sharing of successes and challenges of raising grieving children.
What does it cost to attend The Garden? : Nothing. Services at The Garden are free of charge.
Does my family have to live in Northampton? : No, The Garden works with families from all over Western Massachusetts.
Is The Garden only for families when the person died from cancer? : No, The Garden does not have any limits on how, where or when the person died.
If I am interested in signing up for The Garden, what are the next steps? Call or email Shelly Bathe Lenn at 413-582-5312 or slenn@cooleydickinson.org to arrange for an intake meeting.
Is The Garden available to speak with my group or organization about services? Yes! The Garden is available to speak to groups of all sizes (community services groups, places of worship, schools, etc.) on a range of topics related to grief and bereavement. For more information call Shelly Bathe Lenn at 413-582-5312.
Additional Resources:
The Dougy Center
The National Center for Grieving Children & Families
10 Ways to Help a Grieving Child
From the National Alliance for Grieving Children
National Poll of Bereaved Children & Teens
