A Message from the Executive Director
June is Pride Month , an annual celebration to honor the Stonewall Uprising, traditionally seen as the beginning of the modern LGBTQIA+ equal rights movement. I’d like to share with you some of the ways Uplift works to help grieving LGBTQIA+ youth in Philadelphia. 

While many of the LGBTQIA+ youth Uplift serves have experienced the death of a loved one, many others are experiencing ambiguous loss because of fractured relationships with family members or friends.

Ambiguous loss is defined as any loss not due to a physical death, that is left unresolved and without closure, that profoundly impacts one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors since that loss, and is a unique experience for many in the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Our team, and especially School and Community Services Clinician CJ Roseberry, has worked closely with LGBTQIA+ leaders to create a specialized grief group curriculum that includes identifying participants’ pronouns, discussions of how identity can change with grief, open discussions of ambiguous loss and what those relationships look like, and more.

As an organization, Uplift strives to be inclusive. All binary language has been removed from printed materials and forms, our clinicians wear progressive pride flag pins to open dialogue around identity in all Uplift grief groups, and all group spaces are marked with safe space signs. 

I invite you to read on to learn more. Like grief, love takes many forms, and Uplift is proud to work with all grieving children and youth in Philadelphia.

With sincere gratitude,
Uplift & The Attic Youth Center
Since March, Uplift has been providing LGBTQIA+ grief groups at The Attic Youth Center in Center City. We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with The Attic and provide grief services that enhance the vital work they’re doing as Philadelphia’s only organization exclusively serving LGBTQIA+ youth. The Attic’s supportive services help “build community, reduce isolation, combat homophobia, promote knowledge and life skills, and develop future leaders.” 
 
Uplift and The Attic staff came together to celebrate Philly PrideDay on June 9th. This year’s PrideDay was the city’s largest parade and festival celebration to date and marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the beginning of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. It was a terrific day celebrating love and unity.
Diversity In Grief Education
Uplift’s School and Community Services clinician CJ Roseberry, MSW facilitated a workshop on The Implementation of Inclusivity Practices with LGBTQIA+ Youth at the National Alliance of Grieving Children’s Annual Symposium in Salt Lake City in June and will offer the program again at the 3rd Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference in July. As the only presenter at both forums explicitly discussing grief among LGBTQIA+ youth, CJ is educating professionals on ways to explore the implementation of inclusivity with LGBTQIA+ youth in both a peer support setting and organizationally. 
Youth Pride: Health and Wellness Fair
Uplift’s School and Community Services clinicians CJ Roseberry, MSW and Lamya Broussard, MSW, MLSP participated in CHOP’s Youth Pride: Health and Wellness Fair at the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research on June 1st. The Fair offered resources and education to youth and their families, and CJ and Lamya shared information about Uplift’s grief services with attendees. CJ and Lamya also had a chance to meet other vendors, including the Mazzoni Center and Valley Youth House , and make great connections !
LGBTQIA+ Resources
LGBTQIA+ youth have higher risk factors of suicidality and self-harm, as well as uniquely characterized experiences with grief and trauma. Uplift has a curated list of resources for those looking to learn more. For even more resources, please visit the following pages:

May and June can be difficult months for many of the children Uplift serves as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can bring with them reminders of what they’ve lost. 

But thanks to your support , children in Uplift's grief groups have each other to lean on, to listen, and to help them feel less alone. You're making a difference in these children's lives.
 
Please give today . Together, we can ensure that no child has to grieve alone. 
 
P.S. Your gift before June 30th will help Uplift end its program year on a high note! 
Ways you can make an impact today:
Mail a check made out to "Center for Grieving Children" to 3300 Henry Avenue, Ste. 102, Philadelphia, PA 19129.
Contact Director of Development and Communications, Heather S. Giampapa, at 267-437-3123, ext. 11 or heather@upliftphilly.org

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Select Uplift as your AmazonSmile charity and raise money to help grieving children while you shop - at no extra cost to you! Click the link below to set up your AmazonSmile to benefit Uplift Center for Grieving Children.