Sending you the warmest wishes this holiday season and thank you for supporting Healing Grace this past year. We have hit several goals and continue to create a home for the families that have face infant death and pregnancy loss. We have gone from a presence only in the virtual world to finding an office and making Healing Grace a physical reality. We have held in person events and cultivated relationships with our area providers and hospitals. All of this growth and development will provide the foundation for what is to come in 2022.
Starting in January, we will be having a gathering of mothers of loss every second Sunday of the month. This will be a group to come and connect and share our stories, our journey after loss, and so much more. We have coffee, tea and delicious pastries to share. Some months we will invite local holistic healers to share their gifts and offer new ways to find meaning and healing. Our next group is January 9th at 11am at our office in Plattsburgh.
We will also be starting, in the first quarter of the year a group for the sweet siblings of our angels. This will be a time for our children to come to Healing Grace to watch a movie or have a fun creative activity. We will also be weaving in guest facilitators to come in and create a fun relaxed program to help the kiddos on their journey.
We are also moving forward with the development of our Parent Advocacy Training program. We have created the outline of the program and the curriculum development committee is set to start meeting in January. We will share more as the details of our program and start date become clearer. Through the Parent Advocacy training program, we are using multiple ways to support our families through holistic methods and through traditional groups. We will begin the program looking inward and explore where we are in the grief journey and learn ways to process and ensure we have the tools that will aid us in the years to come. Grief is not linear, and it doesn’t matter if you think it’s “over,” something will eventually crop up. In the second phase of the program will prepare us to assist and support other families of infant and pregnancy loss in group settings and at community functions. Finally, we will process the importance of using our voices to reduce the stigma around infant death and pregnancy loss and sharing our story with the community and healthcare providers to improve understanding, care and how we as parents can advocate in the community at large and with healthcare providers to ensure that the care and support are at its highest degree. Parents of infant loss need a voice. Right now, that voice is often silenced due to the discomfort of the topic and busyness of our world. If a person opens their heart to love, then they will know grief. This is natural. This needs to be normalized. If you are interested in joining our program and would like to be on a list to participate in our first round, please email [email protected].
These programs are just a small snippet of what 2022 has in store for Healing Grace and our community of families. Coming in January 2022, our executive director is launching a podcast to provide a platform to share our mission. Further details to be shared soon. You will be able to listen on all major podcast platforms.
This is all exciting and fuel for the soul. During this Christmas Season please remember our families that have lost a baby this year and the struggle to find joy in this season of renewal.
Sending you love and the warmest of wishes this Christmas season. May you find time to stop and breath and cherish the time with your families. Thank you for believing in Healing Grace and we hope you can continue to support our mission in the New Year and beyond.
With love and Christmas wishes,
Sarah and the Board of Directors
