We're so grateful to have one of our newest volunteers, Raquel, joining the Billy's Place team! Her reason for giving back is deeply personal, as Billy’s Place was there for her and her daughter after her other daughter died in 2021. She said that being part of the Billy's Place community and having a safe place to connect with others who had also lost a child helped her so much, more than she could put into words. Because of Billy's Place, she didn't feel isolated, and now she's ready to be that source of comfort and support to someone else by giving back as a volunteer. We're grateful that Raquel has decided to walk alongside others in their grief and offer the same compassion that helped her begin to heal. 💜 (fb)

In April, we explored how to begin healing our hearts after loss with the Broken Hearts Activity. Each child chose a heart, decorating it with words and pictures representing their special person. Then, they tore the heart apart as a symbol of the grief that comes with loss, followed by piecing it back together with band aids. On each one, they wrote down the people and things that help them feel better and heal. This is a little girl who attended our group after losing her uncle. She couldn’t find the words to explain her pain, but when we asked what she was feeling, she simply pointed to her heart. ❤️ Grieving children often show us their pain before they can tell us. That’s why art is such a powerful outlet for them to understand their grief and express their feelings, and we use it within our curriculum often. (fb)