National Grief Awareness Day; Support At WG Listening Place

As National Grief Awareness Day approaches on Tuesday, Aug. 30, The Listening Place in Webster Groves would like to remind people that support is available.

Located in the Webster Hills United Methodist Church’s Christian Life Center, 1333 W. Lockwood Ave., The Listening Place offers free walk-in grief support from 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday. Weekend appointments are also available by request.

The Listening Place provides a confidential space to share stories of loss with trained grief support volunteers known as listening companions. All listening companions have experienced losses of their own and can empathize while providing support and a caring presence.

National Grief Awareness Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness about how people cope with grief. While people usually associate grief with the death of loved one, grief is a natural response to any kind of loss — from the end of a relationship to the loss of stability that comes with unemployment, illness or major life transitions. People cope with grief in different ways, but almost anyone can benefit from having a compassionate person listen and offer support.

In addition to its walk-in Wednesday support, The Listening Place also collaborates with Bethesda Hospice Care to offer a free community grief support group at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (next group meeting is Monday, Sept. 12).

For more information on the free grief support services offered by The Listening Place, visit www. thelisteningplacestl.org. To request a weekend appointment with a listening companion, call 314-252-8615 or email thelisteningplacestl@gmail.com.