A Northern Indiana nonprofit is expanding its services into South Bend, offering families a space to cope with grief after the death of a loved one.
Dustin’s Place, founded by Viki Brown after her husband Dustin Cullen died, provides peer-to-peer grief support for children and adults.
“Dustin’s Place is a grief support center, and we provide peer to peer grief support to children and adults after the death of an important person in their life,” Brown said.
With new grant funding, the organization is launching family grief nights in South Bend, designed to help children and adults process grief together while meeting in separate age-based groups. Brown emphasized accessibility as a core part of the nonprofit’s mission.
“One of our core values is that we do everything at no cost with no waitlist,” she said.
The sessions are free and open to the public. Family grief nights are held every other Tuesday at One Roof, the Northeast Neighborhood Center in South Bend.
Brown said creating a space where children and adults can connect with others who understand their experiences is a critical part of healing.
“What we know about a healthy grieving child is the most important part of a healthy grieving child's grief journey is a healthy grieving adult,” she said.
For more information or to attend family grief nights, visit www.dustinsplace.org or call 574-936-8813.
