Ryan’s Heart announces
upcoming grief support program
PRESQUE ISLE — Ryan’s Heart (a local non-profit organization for grieving children and their families) is excited to announce Neighborhood Hearts, a 10-week grief support program for Aroostook County.
Research has shown that children need many avenues to express their thoughts and feelings. Ryan’s Heart has been actively working for a way to provide grieving youth this opportunity. Neighborhood Hearts is based upon the premise of Neighbors Helping Neighbors and encourages youth to have a good time in support groups even though they are talking about painful topics. The program will provide a multitude of activities that have been designed to allow all children and teens the opportunity to approach their grief using a variety of mediums.
“Children and adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one are often looking for assistance with the grieving process,” said Kelly Gumprecht, board president of Ryan’s Heart. “This program provides a safe environment where those individuals are encouraged to share, develop and grieve in a positive and healthy way.”
“We are very excited to be able to offer this program to our community and are currently accepting applications for volunteer facilitators,” Gumprecht said. “Facilitators don’t have to be educated in social sciences, they just need to enjoy working with children and adults.”
New facilitators will be provided a comprehensive training program, designed by Hospice of Aroostook.
The program is slated to begin on May 26, at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Wintergreen Arts Center, State Street, Presque Isle. Collaboration with Wintergreen was a perfect partnership for the young non-profits. Ryan’s Heart needed a facility that provided a safe, comforting environment where children could play and share naturally, while Wintergreen is continually seeking ways to encourage art and emotional expression in local youth. Because many group activities will involve feelings expressed through art, pairing up seemed natural.
Neighborhood Hearts will focus initially on servicing children ages 5 – 14. Participants will be broken down into age appropriate groups and program facilitators will provide programming to initiate and process feelings of loss. Adults who accompany the children will meet in their own groups.
Please e-mail customerservice@ryansheartnpo.org to request a volunteer application or to sign up for participation in group sessions, or call 540-1468 and ask for Kelly.
Deadline for volunteer applications is April 23.
Deadline to sign up to participate in the Neighborhood Hearts program is May 21.
There is no fee associated with this program at this time; however, donations will be accepted.
