Grief Gatherings: Healing Through Community

Health care access

Long Beach Antelope Valley South Bay Gateway Cities San Fernando Valley West LA San Gabriel Valley South LA East LA Central LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Grief is a universal human experience, yet access to safe, culturally responsive healing spaces remains limited—especially for uninsured and underinsured women and youth of color in Los Angeles. The mental health system is often overwhelmed or inaccessible, leaving many to navigate grief in isolation. This lack of support can lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and disconnection from community. Women are often expected to carry the emotional weight of families and communities, yet their own grief is overlooked. For young people, especially those ages 16–26, unprocessed grief can interrupt education, career development, and self-worth. The stigma around seeking help compounds the problem. Our understanding is that healing from grief is not linear and must be supported by trusted spaces, relevant tools, and collective care rooted in lived experience. Grief Gatherings aim to fill that gap with dignity, access, and emotional empowerment.

Grief Gatherings: Healing Through Community is a wellness-based initiative supporting grieving women and youth, ages 16–26, across Los Angeles County. With this grant, we will expand our trauma-informed programming to serve 200 underinsured and uninsured participants through six curated, in-person gatherings from January to June 2026. Each gathering will offer emotional healing tools—such as guided journaling, sound baths, guest speakers, peer storytelling, and wellness resources—combined with tangible support like transportation, childcare, meals, and culturally competent facilitators.
This program prioritizes emotional safety, representation, and access. We create spaces where grief is honored, not hidden—empowering participants to process loss, connect with others, and restore confidence in their own resilience. The gatherings will also include mental health referrals, healing workbooks, and mentorship connections for young adults who are grieving while navigating life transitions. Grant funds will support venue costs, program materials, outreach, staffing, photography, and marketing to ensure deep community reach and impact.

Grief Gatherings is an ongoing healing initiative supporting grieving women and youth in Los Angeles County. With this grant, we will expand our impact—serving 200 participants through six curated gatherings. If successful, we’ll reduce emotional isolation, increase access to mental health tools, and create safer, community-rooted pathways to healing. Our vision is long-term: to scale this model across Los Angeles County through peer facilitator training, strategic partnerships, and integration with schools and wellness hubs. When one woman heals, she uplifts her household, her block, and her future. These gatherings will ripple outward—normalizing grief care, strengthening emotional resilience, and shaping more connected, compassionate communities across the county.