Bridges Center for Grieving Children helps grandmother, grandkids overcome loss

Gail Warner is no stranger to loss. She experiences grief in a variety of spaces: as a mental health counselor for Catholic Community Services, as a volunteer at Bridges Center for Grieving Children and in her personal life.

But it wasn’t until the passing of her daughter in 2020 that Warner knew she needed outside help — for herself and for her grandkids, Asianette and Anonte.

“I didn’t want my grandkids to be alone in their grief,” Warner says. “I called the Bridges program director and asked if I could get them into a support group. She said ‘yes’ and encouraged me to join as well. I was hesitant. I had facilitated groups like this in the past as a volunteer, but nothing could prepare me for attending as a group member.”

A place where no one grieves alone

Every year, Bridges Center for Grieving Children at Mary Bridge Children’s provides a safe space for hundreds of children (ages 4 to 18) and their families to face their grief and heal. Since 1989, Bridges has served more than 7,000 children from more than 4,200 families, helping them process, cope and heal through bimonthly peer support groups. Thanks to generous donors and volunteers, these services are provided at no cost to families.

“Grief support gives children, teens and adults in their lives community where they can acknowledge what they are experiencing,” says Lisa Duke, MSW, program coordinator of Bridges.

During the pandemic, Warner, Asianette and Anonte attended these groups virtually. Every month, they would wait in anticipation for their “care packages” filled with activities and treats for their upcoming group.

In these sessions, participants express their feelings through activities and crafts that align with different themes, including healthy coping mechanisms, memorialization and sharing.

Grief is a process

For nearly two years, Bridges supported Warner and her family as they processed the loss of their mom and daughter. In addition to attending support groups, both Asianette and Anonte went to Camp Erin — a free, overnight camp for youth who are grieving the death of a significant person in their lives.

“Bridges has taught me many ways to manage grief,” Anonte says. “Instead of building it up inside, tell someone how you feel.”

For Asianette, the program normalized grief and loss and gave her an outlet to share.

Warner is incredibly grateful that she made that first call to Bridges, and says she’ll never forget the way they felt like an extension of her family.

“I couldn’t talk about my daughter — how she passed and everything — without just freezing,” Warner says. “Thanks to Bridges, I realized that you do have to talk about the person to move forward. It’s OK to keep them in your heart, but not to be stuck in ‘what I could’ve done.’ I had to move past that for myself and my grandkids.”

Thanks to donor support, Bridges is offered at no cost to families. You can support the incredible work they do with a gift of any size.