The Garden A Center for Grieving Children and Teens

02/20/2026

🌱 The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens
A new session begins this March. If you know a child or teen who could benefit from compassionate grief support, The Garden is here for them. Reach out to learn more or connect a family with resources.

💚 No one should have to navigate grief alone. The Garden is where healing happens.

02/18/2026

Grief can feel a lot like being on a carnival ride — full of twists, turns, ups, downs, and moments that catch you completely off guard. For children and teens, those emotional loops can be especially confusing. One moment they may feel steady, and the next they’re overwhelmed by a wave they didn’t see coming.
At The Garden, we help young people understand that these shifting feelings are normal. Just like a ride, grief doesn’t move in a straight line — and no one should have to navigate it alone. Our groups offer a safe, supportive space where kids and teens can share their experiences, express their emotions creatively, and connect with others who truly understand what they’re going through.

The Dougy Center offers an activity for those moments of grief - https://www.dougy.org/activities/grief-is-like-a-carnival-ride

02/11/2026

🌱 Supporting Grieving Students Matters — and Schools Play a Powerful Role 🌱

When a student experiences the death of someone important to them, the impact follows them into the classroom. The Dougy Center (https://www.dougy.org/resources/audience/school-personnel) offers excellent resources to help school personnel understand how to support grieving children and teens — from recognizing common grief responses to creating compassionate, grief‑informed school communities.

At The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, we’re proud to partner with local schools to provide school‑based grief support groups. These groups play a crucial role in helping students navigate the complexities of loss in a safe, nurturing environment.

✨ What our school‑based groups offer:
• A private, supportive space right at school
• Weekly meetings for eight weeks
• A closed‑group format that builds trust and connection
• Opportunities for students to share memories, feelings, and stories about their special person
• Collaboration with school staff to identify and support grieving students

By bringing grief support directly into schools, we help ensure that no child has to navigate loss alone — and that they have caring adults and peers walking alongside them.

If your school is interested in partnering with The Garden or learning more about our programs, we’d love to connect. 💚

https://www.cooleydickinson.org/programs-services/vna-hospice/the-garden/

02/06/2026

💛 Why the Words We Choose Matter
At The Garden, we know that language has the power to either open doors for grieving children—or unintentionally close them. When a young person is navigating the death of someone important, the words adults use can shape how safe, seen, and supported they feel.

Grief‑inclusive language helps children:
• Feel validated in their own unique experience
• Understand what has happened without confusion
• Build trust with the adults supporting them
• Express their emotions in ways that feel right for them

Simple shifts—like saying “died” instead of vague phrases, or honoring the words a child uses to describe their person—can make a meaningful difference.

As a community, we can all help create spaces where grieving children feel understood. Every conversation is an opportunity to show compassion, clarity, and care.

If you’d like to learn more about how language shapes the grief experience, you can read the full piece from The Children’s Room here:

Why Words Matter: Grief-Inclusive Language at The Children’s Room At The Children’s Room, we believe that the words we choose matter. Not as a set of rules, but as a form of care. Every child, teen, and family who comes to TCR brings their own story,

02/04/2026

🌿 Faces of Grief Exhibit Ends on February 6 🌿
The Faces of Grief exhibit, a powerful photography exhibit honoring love, loss, and connection, presented in partnership by Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), wraps up on Friday, February 6. Make sure to stop by and see this amazingly powerful exhibit.

🕒 Gallery Hours
• Wed / Fri: 10 am – 5 pm
• Thu: 1 pm – 5 pm

All are welcome to experience this meaningful and moving exhibit.

01/30/2026

🌿 Faces of Grief Exhibit Reception Tomorrow! 🌿

Join us, tomorrow, Saturday, January 31, from 11 am to 1 pm at the Carberry Fine Arts Gallery on the STCC campus for the reception of Faces of Grief, a powerful photography exhibit honoring love, loss, and connection.

Presented in partnership by Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC).
Can’t make the reception? The exhibit will remain open through February 6, 2026.

🕒 Gallery Hours
• Mon / Wed / Fri: 10 am – 5 pm
• Tue / Thu: 1 pm – 5 pm
• Saturday: Open for the reception
• Sunday: Closed

All are welcome to experience this meaningful and moving exhibit.

01/28/2026

🌿 Faces of Grief – Exhibit Reception This Saturday 🌿

Join us Saturday, January 31, from 11 am to 1 pm at the Carberry Fine Arts Gallery on the STCC campus for the reception of Faces of Grief, a powerful photography exhibit honoring love, loss, and connection.

Presented in partnership by Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC).

Can’t make the reception? The exhibit will remain open through February 6, 2026.

🕒 Gallery Hours
• Mon / Wed / Fri: 10 am – 5 pm
• Tue / Thu: 1 pm – 5 pm
• Saturday: Open for the reception
• Sunday: Closed

All are welcome to experience this meaningful and moving exhibit. 🌟

01/26/2026

💛 Grief can hit in powerful waves, and it’s completely human to feel overwhelmed. The Dougy Center offers eight gentle, practical ways to steady yourself during those intense moments — from slowing your breath to moving your body, expressing your feelings, asking for help, and giving yourself real compassion.

If you or someone you love is navigating deep grief, this resource is worth a read.

🕊️ Taking small steps doesn’t erase the pain, but it can make the next moment a little more bearable.

Read the full article: https://www.dougy.org/resource-articles/8-things-to-try-when-the-grief-gets-intense

01/24/2026

Have you stopped by the Amy H Carberry Gallery at STCC yet to see the many Faces of Grief exhibit? Up until 2/6.

Hope to see you at the reception on 1/31!!!

01/23/2026

🕊 Faces of Grief: A Photography Exhibit Honoring Love, Loss & Connection

Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice and The Garden A Center for Grieving Children and Teens are partnering with Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) to present Faces of Grief, a powerful photography exhibit running January 20–February 6, 2026 at the Carberry Fine Arts Gallery on the STCC campus.

📸 Public Reception:
Saturday, January 31, 2026
11 AM–1 PM

Under the guidance of Professor Sondra Peron, STCC darkroom photography students have created intimate portraits of individuals holding or displaying meaningful objects that connect them to loved ones who have died.

“Grief is often a silent experience,” shares Shelly Bathe Lenn, Bereavement Coordinator at Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice. “This project offers a powerful way to honor those we've lost and to open up conversations that help us feel less alone.”
Shelly, who has supported grieving individuals across Western Massachusetts since 2002, continues to foster healing spaces for children, teens, and adults through her work with The Garden and Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice.

The Faces of Grief exhibit seeks to destigmatize grief and transform discomfort into connection. We welcome all community members to attend the reception, view the portraits, and witness the resilience and love reflected in each story.

📞 For more information, please contact Shelly Bathe Lenn at 413‑727‑5749.