Will The Sadness Ever End? Helping Kids With Grief — Dave’s Diary

We hear the heart wrenching truth every time there is a tragedy at a school. Parents should never have to bury their children.  At the same time young children shouldn’t have to learn to live without a mom or dad at an early age either, but it happens and often there isn’t any real support system in place for those kids.  Memorial Hospital wants to change that.Later this month Memorial will host a workshop that will provide an opportunity for children to express their feelings and thoughts through creative activities and meet others who have experienced similar loss. While children are participating in activities to assist their recovery, parents and guardians will be involved in their own grief recovery program geared for adults.

 Kristi Messer appeared on the Morning News today to share her story.  She grew up in Yakima and lost her mother when she was quite young.  Her loss created a passion for developing a safe haven for children in the Yakima Valley to work through similar experiences.

This workshop will be held:

Sunday, May 18, 2014

12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Children’s Village, 3801 Kern Road, Yakima

This workshop is intended to help children and teens work through these feelings and safely share them in a safe environment. Activities include writing, drawing, team-building and art.

Lunch will be provided for every family, and parents are encouraged to enjoy lunch with the children before the activities begin. This workshop is provided at no charge to participants.

For more information or to register, contact Jill Stewart at JillStewart@yvmh.org or 509-574-3669. Registrations will be accepted until May 16, 2014.