Hope House Community Hospice is inviting the community of York Region to attend its Blue Butterfly Tea, in honour and recognition of children’s grief, on Sunday, Nov. 17.
Children are often what leading thanatologist Kenneth Doka describes as “forgotten grievers” whose grief is disenfranchised — that is, not acknowledged or supported — because people don’t realize the impact of loss — death or otherwise — on children’s worlds, believing that they are unaffected or incapable of grief, the Aurora hospice stated in a news release.
To address this misconception, Children’s Grief Awareness Day was created in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place in Pennsylvania, and since that time has become an annual, international initiative that seeks to bring attention to the realities of children’s grief and the importance of supporting bereaved young people.
Hope House’s Blue Butterfly Tea seeks to bring awareness to the nearly 3,000 children who are bereaved in York Region each year, by creating a space for our community to gather, learn about children’s grief, and find ways to support one another through loss.
The afternoon event will feature presentations from Julia Zinn, the Help Us Understand Grief (HUUG) counsellor for children, youth, and families at Hope House, and a special guest (TBA), as well as interactive exhibits, and of course, traditional afternoon tea. The event aims to create a safe and comforting community in which bereaved children and youth are recognized and supported as they navigate grief and loss.
“Enhancing grief awareness in York Region — including awareness of children’s grief — helps us establish a compassionate community where nobody has to face grief alone” said Zinn.
The tea takes place Sunday, Nov. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Laskay Community Hall, 2920 King Rd., King City. The event is free to attend, however, registration is required at bluebutterflytea.eventbrite.ca.
