A new avenue for grief support is now available in Western New York. The Western New York Compassion Connection: A Center for Grieving Children and Families is now open.
The facility will provide a safe space where children and families can receive peer support and other services, including school-based programs and grief literacy outreach efforts, as they make their way through their bereavement journey.
"This place and the programs that flow from its compassion and the bonds of fellowship it will forge will be transformative and it will be life-saving," Gwen Mysiak, Western New York Compassion Connection founder, said.
The center features a number of specialized peer-support rooms for people of all ages that include workout equipment, arts and crafts stations, games like bubble hockey, shuffleboard and air hockey, a lounge area, televisions and more.
"I handle a lot of families and when it comes to the giref part, there is no where to go," Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro said. "There is no time to waste when you are at that point in your life and you need somewhere to go. Many families experience the loss of a loved one and for many, that loss is sudden and unexpected. They may feel alone and feel they have nowhere to go, nowhere to turn. This center is something that is much needed for the community."
