Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh has become home to a new service for Winnebago County—the Children & Teen Grief Support Network. Children & Teen Grief Support Network is a monthly group for children 6-12, teens, and their parents or guardians to receive support after losing a loved one in their lives. You do not need to be a member of the Boys & Girls Club to participate. Anyone in the community is welcome to participate.
The group meets on the second Thursday of every month from 6-8 p.m. The evening starts by sharing a meal. After the meal, participants break off into groups: 5- to 8-year-olds, 9- to 12-year-olds, teens, and adults. Through these facilitator-lead sessions, the groups explore topics such as how to accept grief, working through the pain of grief, adjusting to an environment in which the deceased is missing and emotionally relocating the deceased, and moving on with life. For the younger groups there is also recreational time. To end the night, each group gets into a circle and finishes with passing a candle and remembering the person who passed away.
The Club is having an open house for the Children and Teens Grief Support Network on two separate dates: Thursday, May 17th and Friday, May 18th. Attending one of the open house dates is a great opportunity for school counselors, teachers, healthcare professionals, and more to learn about the program and the resources it provides. There is no cost and interested individuals can register online by Monday, May 14th here: https://bgcosh.org/griefopenhouse/
There will be a 30-minute presentation, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, by program coordinators Julie Morris and Amy Reed (MA in Thanatology). Afterward, there will be Club tours, plus light appetizers and door prizes.
Dealing with grief is a part of mental health and well-being. It is a life-long process and one that is hard for children to do on their own without support. As the National Alliance for Grieving Children reports, "Grieving children often feel alone and misunderstood and feel less alone when they are with other children who have experienced the death of a significant person and when they have loving, consistent adults in their lives."
Through this service, we provide families with a place to find peers who are experiencing the same thing they are and give them a safe and friendly place to process. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, please contact the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Family Support Coordinator, Julie Morris, at 920-233-1414, ext. 30 or juliem@bgcosh.org, or find the Children & Teen Grief Support Network on Facebook at: facebook.com/griefsupportoshkosh.
For over 45 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh has provided young people with a safe place to learn and grow. The Club offers a dynamic learning environment that includes fun and impactful age-appropriate programs like Healthy Habits, Money Matters, and Power Hour homework help, mentoring by caring adult professionals and outstanding facilities, all for an annual fee of only $25 per child. (There are multiple child discounts & scholarships available.)
The Boys & Girls Club also provides after-school care at several elementary school sites. By providing safe facilities, caring adults, and engaging activities, we help each young person realize their full potential.
For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, please contact the Club at (920) 233-1414, visit the Club online at www.bgcosh.org or find the Club on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@BGCOsh), YouTube, and/or LinkedIn.
As always, the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is a United Way Agency.
