CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Gateway Hospice, in partnership with Gateway Medical Center’s Volunteer Auxiliary, is bringing awareness to the Clarksville Community regarding children’s grief on Thursday, November 19, National Children’s Grief Awareness Day.
Children are often the forgotten mourners in grieving families. According to the Journal of Death and Dying, 1 in 5 children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18.
Gateway Hospice’s Intern, Teresa Cunningham, states, “As adults, we need to become more aware of children’s grief, so we can help children who experience the death of a loved one to process their emotions in a healthy way.”
Gateway Hospice will be setting up booths in three separate Clarksville locations: Austin Peay State University in the kiosk lobby of the MUC, Governor’s Square Mall, and Gateway Medical Center. At these booths, information regarding children’s grief and ribbons representing this national day of awareness will be handed out.
Students from various elementary schools throughout Clarksville have entered drawings of the Children’s Grief Awareness logo, Hope the Butterfly. At these booths, members of the community will also be asked to vote for their top three favorite butterfly drawings. The top three will receive a prize and the top 12 will be featured in a 2016 calendar distributed by Gateway Hospice.
If you have any questions regarding this event or resources for grieving children, please contact:
Gateway Hospice
141 Hatcher Lane
Clarksville, TN 37040
(931) 552-9551