The Center for Grieving Children has seen a dramatic increase in people seeking their services for support with grief. In the first 8 months of the current fiscal year, they have responded to as many calls as in all of the previous year. They provide direct support through various peer support programs to over 300 families each year using over 125 trained volunteers. The Center is looking to expand services to additional groups and needs more support to maintain their services as they have had to spend down reserves while keeping costs low. They receive no state or federal funding and rely on donations from generous individuals in the community.

1. April 5, 2010
Dear
Last year more than 4,000 children, teens, and families looked to the Center for Grieving Children for
education, information and peer support when dealing with a life threatening illness or death. For
almost 25 years The Center for Grieving Children has responded when families in crisis have needed
us because of the support of friends in our community.
This year we have seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of people seeking our services in the
immediate aftermath of the death of a child, sibling, parent, grandparent, colleague or friend. In the
first 8 months of our current fiscal year we have responded to as many calls as we did all of last year.
Each year we provide direct support for more than 300 families through our Center based programs:
Three nights of Bereavement Peer Support, one night of our Tender Living Care program for families
dealing with a serious illness and two afternoons of Multicultural Peer Support program for refugee
and immigrant children. We are able to do this by utilizing more than 125 specially trained volunteers
who are supported by an excellent staff and consultants.
This last year we have expanded services to more Young Adults, Bereaved Parents, Young Widows,
Widowers and Bereaved Partners and are looking at ways to expand and deepen services to families
dealing with the aftermath of a suicide.
We continue our commitment to community support by responding to hundreds of calls from families,
schools and community groups seeking our help and counsel when death and tragedy hit local
communities throughout Maine. We have been able to do this because we keep our costs low but have
also had to spend down our reserves to maintain services – this is why we need your support like
never before.
The Center has always been blessed by many generous individuals who give of their time and talent to
ensure we can support grieving children, teens and families who need us, week in, week out, free of
charge. The Center takes no state or federal funding and provides highly valuable services to those in
because of committed friends with great hearts. Please join us.
Warmest regards,
Anne Lynch
Executive Director
PS – You might be interested to watch a special edition of Sesame Street hosted by Katie Couric,
designed to help families cope with the loss of a parent. Our center families helped shape this program
that is being broadcast on PBS on April 14, at 8 PM.