Healing grieving youth in Grand Rapids

When it comes to your time and money, there are countless great causes in Grand Rapids that you can support. No matter what cause you are passionate about, it is hard to deny the need and importance of nonprofits like Ele’s Place.

If you aren’t familiar with West Michigan Ele’s Place, their mission is simple: they are dedicated exclusively to helping children and teens cope with grief. Unresolved grief negatively impacts children and teens, contributing to alarming rates of depression, addiction, and violence.

Ele’s Place West Michigan began with a weekly evening program in 2013. After 8 years, they have expanded their services and now serve an average of 100 grieving children and teens each week from dozens of communities.

Many of these children lack the resources and support they desperately need during this time of catastrophic loss, so we would love for you to learn more about them and support their cause, which is very close to our hearts. That’s why we want to share our stories and believe Ele’s Place is an extremely important charity for our community.

Laura Hardy:

When I was nine years old, I lost my mother overnight, which completely turned my life upside down. Coming from a rural area, there weren’t many resources or support options for my family. Ignoring that pain and trying to move on led to anger, resentment, and apathy at school, which set me on a path that could have been destructive.

For years I felt alone and isolated because I didn’t know any other kids who had lost their parents. My school’s solution? They put me in a grief counseling group for people who had lost a grandparent, and no one else understood my pain. This only left me more disturbed and isolated.

If there was something like Ele’s Place where I live, I might have felt seen for the first time in my life. When I first walked into their facility, I immediately burst into tears because I realized how special it was and I wished they had already existed for me. That’s why I think it’s so important that charities like Ele’s Place exist.

Lisa B:

Growing up, I was raised by my mother, grandparents, and uncle. Without my father, my uncle was my father. He made a point of referring to me as “his first daughter.”

Yes, he was my uncle, but to me he was the father I never really had. Unfortunately, September 23rd is a day I will never truly get over or forget. Since my uncle was an NFL player, his death made headlines in sports and the news.

Unfortunately, the media announced his death before our family was notified. I was horrified when I learned of his death from an ex-boyfriend as he had heard about it on the radio.

Dealing with grief and loss is an intense emotional rollercoaster for anyone. Add to that the increased attention, which made everything 10x worse. I felt even more alone every time someone mentioned knowing my uncle. There was no group where I could talk about losing someone in public, so I bottled up my feelings for years.

Honestly, I’m still processing my grief and have been for 13 years. I wish I had an organization like Ele’s Place so I could share the space with people who understand me without ever saying a word.

We hope you take the time to learn more about Ele’s Place and consider donating to the cause. Or, make plans to attend their Courage, Comfort & Cocktails event on October 15th. If you know someone who could use their services, you can contact them here.