(Chelsea Update would like to thank Bob Milbrodt for the information in this story.)
Last Monday the Chelsea Kiwanis Club heard from Amanda Yats, a mental health professional from Ele’s Place, a non-profit that provides peer-to-peer bereavement support for children and their families who have lost a loved one, all at no charge.
They provide a safe environment where kids can meet others with similar experiences and become more comfortable sharing their stories.
Ele’s Place was founded in 1991 by mental health professionals, community volunteers, Junior League members, and grieving parents Betsy and Woody Stover who had lost their 11-month-old daughter Ele in 1989.
Peer support groups are conducted in the evenings for children ages 3-18 years, facilitated by trained volunteers with oversight from Ele’s Place staff. Adult support groups are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals.
In addition, Ele’s Place works with teachers and school social workers to provide support to children during school hours.
Yats reported that 1 in 11 kids will suffer a loss before age 11, and as many as 4,500 children could benefit from this support just in Washtenaw County.
Ele’s Place has locations in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Flint. More than 31,000 individuals have been served. The Ann Arbor location is currently working with 30 families, and needs 20 to 25 volunteers a night. No special skills are required to be a volunteer, just a willingness to help.
Kiwanis is pleased to support this important work.
