May 28, 2013 \ Geoff Birmingham
The Children’s Room: A place for grieving kids

May 28, 2013 This guest post is from Matt Ferrucci, who is a student at Boston College. He’s spending the summer at Reflection Films, learning a little about video production and marketing.

Death is an inevitable part of life, but for children who have lost siblings or parents, it’s especially tragic. This is where The Children’s Room comes in. Located in Arlington, Massachusetts, this non-profit organization has fully devoted itself to creating a supportive environment, designed specifically to help kids (and their families) as they grieve. Nobody should have to do so alone.

The Children’s Room owns a garden whose sole function is to serve as a place of peace and tranquility for those who have recently lost a loved one. You can view its construction here. TCR is far-reaching: it has a peer support system, in which at least 180 people are currently enrolled; it contacts schools and their counselors; and it also receives calls from people seeking help.

Better yet, TCR provides its services for free. Of course, families are encouraged to donate if they so desire, but as it says on the organization’s website, “Grieving families have enough to deal with, without making cost a barrier.”

Don’t feel as if this is an organization that’s only relevant to you if you’re grieving or want to donate, however. There are multiple events held each year that raise both awareness and money. First off, TCR holds tours of both its house and grounds, which many people have described as moving and uplifting. Upcoming tours are taking place on June 3rd and June 12th. They also hold an Annual Memories Walk, which is their largest gathering of the year (the last one took place in September). Finally, TCR has a gala breakfast each spring; the video above was played at the event earlier this month.

For more information, visit childrensroom.org. Grieving is a natural process which should be recognized and embraced rather than feared and avoided.