The passing of a loved one can be difficult. And for many, it can be traumatizing, especially if the cause was sudden, unexpected, or violent. But a new network comprised of local nonprofits and government agencies in Cleveland hopes to lessen that burden by providing resources to help people cope with a specific type of grief.
It's called the Survivors of Homicide Loss Group Support Network and the group hosts meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at the Cleveland Division of Police.
Cleveland ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the country last year, as reported by the personal finance site MoneyGeek which used 2022 FBI crime statistics.
We will start Thursday's show learning more about this network with some of the organizations involved.
Later in the program, four years ago this month, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic and lockdowns and other mitigation efforts were put into place worldwide to stem the spread of the virus.
While life has largely returned to normal, a grief counselor warns that we as a society have never really given ourselves the opportunity to grieve, and deal with the trauma and loss caused by the pandemic. Those losses not only involve the physical loss of loved ones but also the loss of certainty and security.
Ideastream Coordinating Producer Drew Maziasz spoke to grief counselor Claire Bidwell Smith about her new book, "Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing From Loss," that she hopes acts as a roadmap for people continuing to deal with the impact of the pandemic.
We end the show with a preview of our latest Sound of Ideas Community Tour focusing on the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8. The community tour is free and open to the public, and will take place on Monday, April 1 at the Great Lakes Science Center.
Guests:
- Julia Ellifritt, Education Director, Cornerstone of Hope
- Kate Bennett, Crisis Intervention Specialist, Frontline services
- Marlon Johnson, Behavioral Health Manager, YMCA
- Deputy Chief Ali Pillow, Cleveland Division of Police Third District
- Claire Bidwell Smith, Author, "Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach To Healing From Loss"
- Drew Maziasz, Coordinating Producer, Ideastream Public Media
- Mike McIntyre, Executive Editor, Ideastream Public Media
