Ele’s Place, a healing center for grieving children and teens, held its Annual Fall Reception on Thursday, Sept. 28 at Ele’s Place Lansing headquarters on 1145 W. Oakland Ave. More than 200 caring community members gathered in the capital area to support the center’s mission of healing grieving children and teens who have experienced the death of a friend or family member.
Ele’s Place can extend its promise to support grieving children in the community thanks to gracious sponsorships and donations from over 20 local leaders: Delta Dental, Jackson National Life Insurance, McLaren Greater Lansing, Lansing State Journal, Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Auto-Owners Insurance, Dewpoint and more.
“We simply could not come to the aid of grieving families in the way that we do without the support of local staff, volunteers and our surrounding community,” said Kate Powers, managing director of Ele’s Place Lansing. “Death is an inevitable yet difficult part of life. For children and teenagers, it is even more challenging, given their limited life experience. That’s why we will always be here for those who need us, no matter what.”
At the reception, attendees had the opportunity to hear an inspirational story from a 17-year-old young man that recently attended the high school group at Ele’s Place. “The first time I attended my support group, I wasn’t very active, I stayed in my own bubble and didn’t want to be vulnerable,” said Blaine Gastambide. “Over the next few weeks, I started to realize that I wasn’t alone. I learned that everyone deals with things differently. Ele’s Place provides a valuable service that teens don’t know they need or even want to need. Ele’s Place helped me learn to grieve, accept and grow.”
Proceeds from the event go to support children and teens coping with the death of a parent, sibling or another close family member or friend.
Ele’s Place Lansing serves hundreds of children and teens at no cost, through clinical consultations, family-based and school-oriented crisis support. For more information, please contact Ele’s Place at (517) 482-1315, or visit elesplace.org.
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
