Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, a new grief support center for children and families, invites the Newark community to its kickoff event. Speakers representing Imagine will meet and greet community members and explain how Imagine Newark provides free, year-round grief and trauma-informed support for children, teens, and their families. Imagine also provides training, education, and on-site support in schools, workplaces, and the wider community.
Imagine Newark is running peer grief groups to support children age 3-18, young adults 18-30, and parents and guardians, coping with loss due to death. These groups are designed to foster resiliency and emotional well-being for all who are grieving. In the fall of 2019, Imagine will introduce additional groups for those coping with other forms of traumatic loss, such as incarceration, deportation, illness, abandonment, and divorce. Representatives from city government, the Newark school system, as well as corporate funders are expected to attend.
WHEN: May 16, 2019, 5:00-6:00 PM
WHERE: 534 Clinton Avenue, Newark
(Achieve Community Charter School)
LIGHT REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.
“Imagine Newark opened on April 24th and is already more than half full,” said Jacelyn Matthews, Imagine Newark Program Director. “Children and families from any part of the city are welcome to attend the Imagine Newark Center. As we grow, we will also be offering in-school support and education and looking to partner with area agencies.”
“Kids in grief are kids at risk, but not if they get that support,” said Mary Robinson, MA, CT, Imagine Executive Director and Founder. “As a grief- and trauma-informed organization we take a systemic approach to working with grieving families and communities with the goal being to transform grief, loss, and trauma, into resiliency, compassion, and empathy. We are committed to youth dealing with loss and trauma to be able to grow up emotionally and physically healthy, and able to lead meaningful and productive lives. We are grateful for the wonderful support we received from the NYLife Foundation, The Healthcare Fund of NJ, PSE&G, The Schumann Fund of NJ, and the South Ward Children’s Alliance for making it possible for us to open this center.”
For more information about Imagine Newark please visit www.imaginenj.org/newark or contact Jacelyn Matthews at jacelyn@imaginenj.org or 908-264-3100 x 108.
About Imagine
Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, provides year-round grief support for children and young adults using a peer-support group model. Trained adult volunteers and professionals provide children and teens with comfort and the tools needed to process grief resulting from death or life-altering illness. In addition to providing grief support at its two centers in Mountainside and Newark, Imagine provides education in the community, leading workshops and providing on-site support in schools and workplaces where traumatic loss has occurred. Groups, which meet on weeknights, serve children and adults from more than 55 New Jersey towns.
Mary Robinson, Founder and Executive Director of Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss was Recently Named a CNN Hero of the Year
Watch video here:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2019/03/14/cnnheroes-robinson-mixed.cnn