THE HOPE REPORT: WINTER 2023 EDITION
We are excited to share what we’ve been working on since our last update. We have both traditional and new initiatives for you this 2023 year.
Our Initiative Feedback Survey for 2022 and 2023 is now LIVE! We want to hear from you. Click below to get started on our confidential survey and let your voice be heard, today.
Support Group Updates
You shared, we listened. We are pleased to announce and introduce 2 new Partner Loss Grief Support Groups. Due to popular demand, these 2 new groups will start in February and will be ongoing for the foreseeable future:

  • Partner Loss Grief Support Group (ages 18-50): bi-weekly Thursdays via Zoom at 6:30pm, starting February 9th
  • Partner Loss Grief Support Group (ages 50+): bi-weekly Thursdays via Zoom at 6:30pm, starting February 2nd

Our additional grief support groups (ages 18+) will continue to run as scheduled:

  • Mixed Loss Grief Support Group: weekly Tuesdays via Zoom at 6:30pm
  • In-Person Mixed Loss Grief Support Group: 3rd Monday of every month (except statutory holidays and annual closures) at our main office location at 6:30pm
  • Child Loss Grief Support Group: bi-weekly Wednesdays via Zoom at 6:30pm
  • Sibling Loss Grief Support Group*: bi-weekly Wednesdays via Zoom at 6:30pm *Our Sibling Loss Grief Support Group will no longer run after April 19th due to limited interest. We hope to run this group as a closed group in the future, based on requests.
  • Parent & Guardian Loss Grief Support Group: weekly Wednesdays via Zoom at 6:30pm

Reach out to us at info@bereavedfamilies.ca to access a PDF that includes the dates and topics of each group as well as our group guidelines or, visit our website by Clicking Here.

We are also excited to announce some of 2023's Closed/Open Grief Support Groups:

  • Closed Cancer Loss Grief Support Group - Coming Soon!
  • Closed Overdose Loss Grief Support Group
  • Closed Suicide Loss Grief Support Group
  • Open BIPOC Grief Support Group
  • ...plus more to come throughout the year.

For registration details for any of our groups or to learn more about them, please reach out to info@bereavedfamilies.ca.
Out of the following groups, which one are you most interested in?
Closed Cancer Loss Grief Support Group
Closed Overdose Loss Grief Support Group
Open BIPOC Grief Support Group
Closed Suicide Loss Grief Support Group
Events and Fundraising Updates
The Centre for Grief and Healing is excited to launch Food as Community: Episode 2 with Chef Kareema (seen right) from CityLine and host Nadia Chandra from Vibe105. Please join us virtually or in person for an exciting, hands-on night to learn how to cook delicious Stuffed Salmon, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Seasonal Vegetables. This evening includes live entertainment and a diverse expert panel that will elaborate on food as community and how we can incorporate food into our daily healing routines. All attendees will be entered to win some amazing door prizes, and in person attendees will leave with a great gift bag!

Enjoy a fantastic evening, while raising funds for the Centre for Grief and Healing. Help us continue to provide much needed free grief support services by purchasing your ticket HERE today. A variety of ticket options are available, so you can enjoy the evening in person or from the comfort of your home.

General In-Person Admission (Lounge Access): This ticket provides lounge access including viewing the cooking demonstration, live entertainment, and tasting of Chef Kareema's Menu. 
Kitchen In-Person Admission (Cooking Class): This ticket provides exclusive access to our Food as Community event, including a hands-on cooking experience alongside Chef Kareema. After the cooking class, participants will enjoy eating their cooked meal alongside live entertainment. 
General Online Admission: This provides a single user access to the Food as Community episode online. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with the access link and instructions closer to the event date, including what ingredients to purchase so they can follow along at home and cook the same meal as Chef Kareema and the cooking class participants. 
Group Admission: This provides group access to the Food as Community episode online for up to 6 viewers. Ticket purchasers will receive an email with the access link and instructions closer to the event date, including what ingredients to purchase so they can follow along at home and cook the same meal as Chef Kareema and the cooking class participants. 

Click the picture above to learn more and to purchase tickets.
Volunteer Updates
Volunteer Appreciation!
As we begin the new year, we want to look back to 2022 and thank all our volunteers for their incredible contributions, welcome all new volunteers, and express our deepest gratitude to all!  (View Spotlight Here)

Volunteer Recognition Wall Launch!
We are excited to announce the launch of our Volunteer Recognition Wall on January 23rd! We are beyond grateful for our volunteers and all their contributions. Please visit our website by Clicking Here to view the great contributions our volunteers have made to the Centre for Grief and Healing (BFO-H/P).

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Irish at volunteering@bereavedfamilies.ca.
A Message from Our Executive Director
As we transition into a new year, I'd like to take a moment to reflect and extend my gratitude to all of our participants, volunteers, staff, funders, and community members, who helped shape 2022 into a year of learning, growth, and most importantly, hope. In 2022, we were able to increase our staff team, pilot a children's grief-camp initiative called Camp Hope, launch our first ever Food as Community event, significantly reduce our waitlist for individual support services, and offer more grief support groups than we ever had before. A huge thank you to our funders, individual donors, staff, and volunteers, as without you all none of this would have been possible. As we look forward into 2023, I am overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation as we embark on a number of new initiatives and continue to build our current programs and events that help inspire hope and healing in our community.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Initiatives
Championed by our Volunteer Manager, Irish, the Centre for Grief and Healing put together a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in Fall 2022. Here are some of the ways we've been implementing DEI into the organization and for our members since September 2022:

  • Ongoing trainings and workshops on Accessibility, Anti-Racism, Indigenous Perspectives and Historical Trauma, Intersectionality, Marginalization and Oppression, Power, Privilege, and Bias, plus so much more
  • (as of February) Accessibility Functions added to our website
  • Starting a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Grief Support Group in Fall/Winter
  • Recognizing gaps within services and supports to create and offer holistic programming
  • Added a Land Acknowledgment to our group supports and website
  • Reviewing and editing programs, policies, and procedures on an ongoing basis to ensure they are accessible, equitable, and inclusive
  • Obtaining ongoing feedback to continue to improve our DEI efforts
  • Changing staff's 'Bereavement Leave' policy to be more equitable
  • Discussing as a team how our power and privilege can affect the organization and community
Support Resource of the Month
Our Program Manager, Victoria, always recommends and introduces the book (seen left) "The Little Book of Mindfulness" by Dr. Patrizia Collard for those interested in the practice.

Research shows engaging in mindfulness practices can help you reduce stress, increase emotional resilience, sleep better, develop an attitude of self-care and discover new meaning after suffering a loss or experiencing a traumatic event. The practice of mindfulness is free and accessible to everyone.

Unable to purchase or rent the book? Click here to visit a website with 5 ways mindfulness can help you with grief.
Have a resource you'd like us to check out? Email Victoria at programs@bereavedfamilies.ca. It might just get featured here!
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS
&
 COMMUNITY DONATIONS.
Centre for Grief and Healing is proudly funded by:
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Comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments can always be forwarded to Victoria at programs@bereavedfamilies.ca. Interested in having us run our Navigating Through Grief Workshop for you and your team/workplace/business/school? Reach out to Victoria to learn more.

Partnership opportunities, event support inquiries, and donation inquiries can be forwarded to Kelly and Julia at fundraising@bereavedfamilies.ca and executivedirector@bereavedfamilies.ca.

All other inquiries (intakes, group registrations, getting set up with one-to-ones) can be forwarded to Samantha at info@bereavedfamilies.ca.
Our next Hope Report Newsletter will be sent in April 2023.