The Center for Grieving Children Moves into New Home as Part of "Making Room for Hope" Capital Campaign

Capital campaign continues to raise funds to provide help and support to grieving Maine children, teens and families

The Center for Grieving Children has completed its move into a larger, permanent home while continuing to focus on its “Making Room for Hope” capital campaign, having raised just over $2 million toward the $2.5-million goal.

The Center is working to raise awareness about the growing need and importance of its peer support and outreach services that presently serve more than 200 children and family members each week.

The Center’s move will provide the needed space to better serve children and their families. As part of the capital campaign, The Center purchased the 10,000-square-foot building at 555 Forest Avenue in Portland, nearly doubling the size of its former tight space.

A “Housewarming” event was held Friday evening, Nov. 17, at the Center’s new home. Tours of the renovated building were given to the more than 100 people who attended.

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

“The Center’s move to this location is a testament to our commitment to meet the total needs of the community,” said Gary Robinson, Executive Vice President at TD Banknorth Wealth Management Group and the Capital Campaign’s Co-Chair. “The campaign got off to a good start, but we still have a lot of work to do to reach 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. “Our new home really enhances what we are trying to do by giving families more privacy, and also providing more 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 of Greater Portland, 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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Photo cutline:
From left, Gary Robinson of TD Banknorth, Co-Chair of the Making Room for Hope Campaign, and from The Center for Grieving Children, Anne Lynch, Executive Director, Greg McCarthy, Board President, Linda Kelly, Program Director, and Paul Golding, Development Director.