Programs & Services
Monthly Share and Support Groups
Our monthly Peer Support Groups operate throughout the year free of charge and are open to anyone who has lost a loved one. Pre-registration is required. These programs are designed to combat the sense of loneliness and isolation so common with grief, and to recognize that the bereaved often respond better to one another. Our groups meet on a monthly basis. Group participants gain insight into their own thoughts and feelings which can help to ease the pain of losing a special and important person in your life. These groups are all for those 18+. For information about options for children and teenagers, please contact the office.
Parent (Loss of a Child) Group
This Support Group provides an opportunity for parents (moms, dads, step and grandparents) who have experienced the death of a child to meet and share their experiences with others in a confidential environment. This program takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom.
HELP (Hope, Empathy, Love, Patience) After Suicide Group
This Support Group is for anyone who has lost someone in their life to suicide and is held the first Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom.
Partner/Spousal Loss Group
This Support Group is open to anyone who has lost their partner/spouse and takes place on the second Thursday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm. This group meets in-person with COVID protocols in place.
Living with Loss Group
This Support Group is open to anyone who has lost someone of special importance in their lives, regardless of the relationship, and takes places on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom.
Pregnancy/Infant Loss Group
This Support Group is open to anyone who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of an infant under the age of 1 to meet and share their experiences with others in a confidential environment. This program takes place on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom.
Mourning Break
This Support Group is open to anyone who would like to get together with other bereaved individuals for a casual chat and takes place on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 11:00am-12:00pm. This group meets in-person with COVID protocols in place.
One-to-One Peer Facilitation
One-to-One Peer Facilitation is the opportunity for the bereaved to share their thoughts and feelings individually and privately with a trained volunteer. Register with the office by calling 613-634-1230 or emailing your intake form to bfo@kingston.net. Once matched with a volunteer Peer Facilitator, you will schedule support sessions based on your schedule. Sessions can take place virtually, over the phone or in-person with COVID protocols in place.
7-Week Structured Support Groups
Our 7-Week Structured Support Groups are offered at various points during the year, often in partnership with Hospice Kingston. The group meets once per week for 7 weeks, followed by a “reunion” a month after the 7th meeting, with the same participants and facilitators. These groups for specific losses are formed when there are enough registrants to make a group possible. By meeting and sharing feelings and experiences, individuals can begin to understand their own grief and have the opportunity to discuss common feelings with other bereaved persons. In organizing these groups, we ensure that they are “peer structured” (they are planned and organized so that participants can comfortably relate to their peers who are facing, or have faced, a similar loss). There is no charge, but pre-registration and a pre-interview are required. Please contact our office at 613-634-1230 or bfo@kingston.net for more information.