November 2015 Newsletter    
Coping With Grief During The Holidays

The holiday season can be an especially tough time for those who are grieving. We are all triggered in our losses at different times for different reasons, and this time of year can bring back so many memories. Please know that you are not alone.


We also hope you join the conversation on our Facebook page. What have you found helpful when facing the challenges of grieving during the holidays? Have you started any new traditions since your loved one died? Which old traditions have you continued? We'd love to hear all about it.

The most recent Podcast episode from The Dougy Center is also an especially good resource for holiday self-care tips and suggestions for managing your family's needs after the death of a loved one. Click here to listen.

And of course: always remember that you are the expert on your own grief and your own family!

 Children's Grief Awareness Day 2015


Thursday, November 19, was Children's Grief Awareness Day! We were proud to wear blue to show our support and to connect with the community to raise awareness of the unique needs of grieving children and teens.  

Leading up to the event, we asked our TCR community to share their thoughts on the importance of grief awareness and support. Their beautiful handwritten reflections were written on blue hearts, and once completed, every two hearts were joined together as a butterfly, symbolizing the integration of grief and awareness and the changes that occur as we support each other with care and understanding. 

Ultimately, all of the messages we received were gathered and assembled by our incredible interns into one big, beautiful heart for display: 



Throughout the day, TCR staff and interns hosted Children's Grief Awareness Day activities at Ottoson Middle School, Arlington High School, Lexington High School, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chelsea, and the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. As part of the activities, children and teens were invited to place a blue dot to represent a person in their life who died. They were also invited to share their memories and their reflections on blue hearts or strips of ribbon. The response was overwhelming!

Reflections and memories on Children's Grief Awareness Day
from our event at the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

What a beautiful day we had! Thank you to all who participated. You have helped us envision a world where death and dying are more fully integrated into our lives, which leads to greater compassion, hope, and growth.

For more information about Children's Grief Awareness Day, please visit our website and check out pictures on our Facebook page or on Twitter. 
 
Save the Date for a TCR Young Alumni Event: January 29, 2016! 
  














Join us for a wine & cheese gathering!

JOIN US on Friday, January 29, 2016, from 7 to 10 pm, for a very special wine and cheese gathering exclusively for our young adult alumni! 

TCR alums (21 or older) will gather together at the big yellow house in Arlington in order to revisit a familiar community, socialize with one another, and discuss creative ways to stay involved with TCR. 

It promises to be a fun night, so PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! Be sure to share this information with any 21+ TCR alums who you think might want to attend. 

Feel free to contact alumni@childrensroom.org if you have any questions about the event, or if you need to update your contact information so that you can stay in the loop for receiving young alumni news. 

You can also follow our Facebook event page for updates and to stay in touch.

We look forward to seeing you on January 29!
Upcoming Teen
Program Events

Navigating grief as a teen can be hard enough without also feeling as if no one has your back. Join us on Saturday, December 5, as we ascend rock climbing walls, connect with other teens who have shared experiences, and take a look at what it really means to be supported. 

For teens 13 to 18 years old who have ever experienced the death of a parent or a sibling.

The event is FREE, but registration is required. Please click here to register.

Parents or guardians will be expected to sign their teens in at TCR by 11:15 AM and pick them up from TCR by 3:45 PM.

This event will include lunch and transportation to the gym provided by TCR. 

Teens who are new to TCR and their parents/guardians will need to speak with a TCR Teen Program coordinator to complete a brief information form.

For more information, contact teens@childrensroom.org or call 781-641-4741 ext. 214.



Save the Date for a special TCR Teen Night at a BU Hockey game, on Saturday, January 23, 2016!

Come connect with other teens as we cheer on Boston University's men's ice hockey team versus University of Maine. 

Details and registration forthcoming! Stay tuned!
Community Tours

Interested in coming 
for a guided tour? 


Upcoming tours are scheduled for:

Wednesday, December 2, at 2 pm
Thursday, January 28, 10 am
Tuesday, February 2, 10 am

Contact us at tours@childrensroom.org to join a scheduled tour, or we can work with you to fit your group's schedule. 

We'd love to show you and your friends around!

#GivingTuesday: Dec. 1GivingTuesday


After Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, be sure to set aside some time after the shopping rush to kick off the season of giving with us on #GivingTuesday! Mark your calendars for December 1, and please consider donating to TCR to give the gift of hope to children and teens who are grieving the death of a parent or sibling this holiday season.

 
Amazon Smile
 

As the holidays draw near, please support TCR when you shop on Amazon!


A portion of your eligible purchases will be donated to TCR when you shop through smile.amazon.com.

Stay in touch with TCR!

If you haven't visited us on Facebook, please check out
our page for daily posts of
information and inspiration. 

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You can also follow us on Twitter for news and information 
about our work. 
 
Our Heartfelt Thanks
 

A warm thank you to one of our teens for allowing us to share this fantastic artwork. What a beautiful reminder for all of us!

 

The Children's Room has partnered with Donate for Charity to make it fast and easy to donate your old vehicle to TCR. Your vehicle will be picked up - free of charge! - from anywhere and TCR will receive a donation in the amount of the vehicle's value.
   
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1210 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476


 

Phone: 781-641-4741   

Fax: 781-641-0012   


 

childrensroom.org