Be the Light in Someone's Darkness When You Support The Dougy Center

A lot has changed in 2020. At The Dougy Center, our grief support groups and family orientations have moved entirely online. Our resources, trainings, and response to grieving communities have all had to adapt as well.

But one thing that has not and will not change is the direct impact of your donation to The Dougy Center.

We continue to support the 1,000 people who were in our program when the pandemic began, while welcoming new families to our virtual groups. To date, nearly 600 individuals have accessed virtual support groups online. Our grief support training and community support services have reached more than 5,000 people since March. And our Tip Sheets and other resources to support families during the pandemic have been downloaded more than 300,000 times.

These critical services to kids, teens, young adults and their families — provided completely free of charge — would not be possible without your help.

When you support The Dougy Center, you are the light in someone’s darkness. Be the light and consider a year-end gift to The Dougy Center. Make a gift online or by phone at 503-775-5683.

Thank you for supporting families who are grieving!

What Do You Hope For?

When it comes to grief, the concept of hope is complicated. What we hope for in our grief is as unique as we are. Whether our hopes are big ones like wanting to live out someone’s dream that we graduate from high school, or small ones like hoping we can go to our person’s favorite park on their birthday, hope is what helps us stay connected — to ourselves and to our loved ones, even on the hardest days in grief.

This November, in honor of National Children’s Grief Awareness Month, we asked kids and teens at The Dougy Center: “When it comes to your grief, what do you hope for?”

Here’s some of what we heard from them. Maybe some are true for you as well…

I hope that I will feel at peace and accept he is gone.
I hope wherever he is, he is happy.
I hope I can feel like myself again, happy again, like I was before.
I hope my mom is watching over me.

Watch for these and other responses on social media this month, and join the conversation.

Also for National Children’s Grief Awareness Month, The Dougy Center is hosting a Community Candle Lighting. Join us on Friday, November 20, at 5:30 p.m. PST. The virtual event will stream live through our Facebook page.

Grief Out Loud Podcasts Exceeds 450,000 Downloads

Have you been listening to Grief Out Loud? If so, you’re not alone. The Dougy Center’s podcast recently reached a major milestone with 450,000 total downloads, and 22,059 downloads for October — the most ever in one month.

“We’re thrilled that so many listeners from around the world are finding support and connection by tuning in,” said Jana DeCristofaro, The Dougy Center’s Community Response Program Coordinator and Host of Grief Out Loud.

Grief Out Loud brings a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting yourself and others who are grieving, and interviews with bereavement professionals. New episodes are posted weekly and available on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform. Listen here.