For Immediate Release
June 10, 2006

Contact:
Lori Fitzmaurice, The Center for Grieving Children
(207) 775-5216
Web Site: http://www.cgcmaine.org

The Center for Grieving Children, a Maine organization with a mission to provide support to grieving children, teens and families through peer support and outreach, has launched a $2.5 million capital campaign to raise funds to purchase a building that will serve as a permanent home for The Center.

The Center, serving more than 200 children and family members each week, has outgrown its current facility, prompting the need for a larger home located at 555 Forest Avenue in Portland. Once renovated, the 10,000-square-foot building will nearly double the Center’s present space in Portland.

The campaign was announced June 6 at an event hosted by WCSH anchor Cindy Williams and held at 555 Forest Avenue. Tours of the building were given to the more than 150 people who attended. To date, $1.6 million has been raised to help pay for the building and its renovations.

For more information about The Center for Grieving Children’s campaign or to make a donation, visit its website at www.cgcmaine.org or call (207) 775-5216.

“The Center has simply run out of room - there are too many people in too little space and we’re not meeting the total needs of the community,” said Mike Dubyak, President & CEO of Wright Express and the Capital Campaign’s Co-Chair. “Having moved five times in The Center’s history, we realized that it made sense to own our own space. The campaign is off to a good start, but we certainly have a long way to go to meet our goal so that we can better serve kids and their families through the most difficult time of their lives.”

“The Center provides a safe haven for children who have suffered a loss. It’s hard to imagine what these children are going through; without support, their emotional development can be seriously impacted,” said Anne Lynch, Executive Director. “A successful campaign will mean that we’ll be better able to provide private, safe space for our families and offer space and support for our many volunteers.”

Understanding that when a loved one dies is often a most difficult time financially, The Center does not charge fees for its services. The Center relies on private individual donations, corporate donations, foundation grants, United Way, and special events.

The Center has more than 125 volunteers serving the children, teens and their families, and is governed by a 25-member volunteer Board of Directors. The Board employs the Executive Director, who manages four full time staff, six part-time staff, and up to seven unpaid interns from universities throughout Maine. The Center’s programs include a multi-cultural program in which peer groups provide support to children who have relocated to the Portland area from war torn countries and have experienced loss or trauma.

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