"Good Grief" Starts the Community Conversation on Grief

On Sunday, April 30th, from 3:00-6:00 pm, Leadership Long Beach Class of 2017 will be hosting Good Grief, a free community event focused on the topic of grief and bereavement. The event will be held at the Recreation Park band shell, located at 4900 E 7th Street. The event will have a resource fair and a special program from 4:00-5:00 pm with speakers, music and a memory tree activity, focusing on hope and remembrance.

The phrase "Good Grief " is usually associated with a popular cartoon character, but what is actually good about grief? Grief is an emotion, a state of being, a journey faced by all people, across all demographics. Grief is one of the least talked about topics in society, and many people don’t know what to say to someone who is grieving. The reality is that grief is a healthy emotion; it’s the result of losing someone we love and it should be acknowledged and discussed.

For an hour before and after the program, there will be resources from local grief support agencies, community groups. There will also be other resources for those experiencing grief, or who might want to learn about tools to help with the grief journey.

Good Grief was inspired by David Leonard, Executive Director of the Long Beach-based non-profit agency, New Hope Grief Support Community.

“New Hope is well aware that combating the isolation that comes with the loss of a loved one cannot be done solely behind closed doors or alone. That's why we're working creatively to provide spaces, events and tools for grieving people, like Good Grief, to connect and support each other. We believe we suffer in isolation and heal in community, and New Hope helps grieving people do just that," said Leonard.

Good Grief is one of five service projects conceived by the 32 members of the Leadership Long Beach Institute program this year. These service projects are a result of the information and interactions gained during monthly sessions on the opportunities and challenges in our city.

The event is free to all and is for anyone who has suffered a loss, knows someone who has a loss, or who wants to remember someone or something lost. For information please email goodgriefllb@gmail.com or call 562.997.9194.

About Leadership Long Beach:

Leadership Long Beach was founded in 1989 by some of our community’s most influential and visionary stakeholders. These founders envisioned the formation of a civic improvement program that would serve the community by educating and motivating leaders on issues important to the future and sustainability of our city. The leaders produced by the Leadership Long Beach program have shared experiences, associations and values that enable them to set imaginative, yet realistic goals, and achieve them through coordinated and effective strategies. Leadership Long Beach has four principled leadership programs – Institute, Youth Leadership Long Beach, Executive Leadership Series and Leadership Foundations – as well as offers continual leadership and networking opportunities throughout the year.