People struggling to cope with the death of a loved one now have more support available to them.  Acclaim Health launched its new Bereavement Peer Support Program for Halton in June 16, 2014 with a butterfly release at the Milton Sports Centre.

The Bereavement Peer Support program teams specially trained volunteers with clients to provide one-on-one bereavement support.  It assists in normalizing people’s experiences of grief and loss, and provides an opportunity for the bereaved person to talk about their loss and share their story in a safe, non-judgemental place with a volunteer who has also experienced a significant loss.

Left unreconciled, grief can significantly impact a person mentally, physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually, with symptoms that can include: depression, anxiety, lack of appetite, inability to sleep, among others.

The project has been generously funded by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). A leading grantmaker in Canada, OTF strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. To learn more, please visit:www.otf.ca

 As a Bereavement Peer Support volunteer:

•  You can provide one-on-one support to someone who has experienced a significant loss
•  Cost free training provided for you to attend a 7-week training program offered in the spring
•  Only 1-2 hours/week time commitment