• Our Program

WHEN:

Meetings are on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, and attendance is every other week.  Families gather at 6:00 p.m. to socialize and enjoy pizza.  Groups begin at 6:30 p.m. and lasting until approximately 7:45.  Our program season roughly mirrors the public schools' calendar with a break from mid-June to early August.

We are located at 440 S. Reynolds Road, Suite D, Toledo, OH  43615.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Good Grief serves families from many different walks of life and backgrounds and reaches children, teens, and adults from over 10 different communities in the Greater Toledo area. We provide peer support groups - not counseling or therapy. Groups are open-ended, which means families begin and finish participating based on their own needs and time-frame. There is never a cost to attend.

One of the most important things about peer support groups is that it gives children, teens, and adults space and time to connect with others of their own age who are grieving the loss of someone important in their lives - who are going through the same experiences and share many of the same feelings.

Our groups begin with circle time, where each group member has the opportunity to introduce themselves and speak about the person who died. Each group then does an age-appropriate grief-related activity designed to assist in the development of coping strategies and the expression of thoughts and feelings surrounding the loss. A portion of every group is dedicated to playing. Many different activities are offered for self-expression (sand trays and other tactile materials, puppets, art materials, games, toys, and other fun activities). Groups end with a closing circle where members may talk about their evening or what they look forward to over the next week.

Teen groups are similar to children's groups however they will often forego playtime for simply hanging out and talking to each other. Journals are offered to every teen.

Children come to Good Grief because someone died. They stay because groups are fun and the connection they establish with others helps them feel less isolated and better understood and a little more in control of their lives.

Please call our office 419.360.4939 and we'll be happy to talk with you!

Please note - While we welcome calls from concerned friends, family members, or others, Good Grief staff will not contact a grieving family unless we hear from the family themselves. Because we know that people grieve in their own way and time, we recognize unexpected calls may not be welcomed. If you know of a family in need of grief support, please mention Good Grief of NW Ohio and let them know we are here whenever they are ready.