By: Sam Eckler
OMAHA, Neb. — A new grief center in Omaha is giving children, adults and families a place to find support after the death of someone close to them.
Collective for Hope opened the Courtnage Home for Health and Hope on Sept. 17, marking the organization’s first dedicated grief center in Omaha.
The new space gives Collective for Hope a permanent home where people experiencing loss can connect with others, remember loved ones, and find support.
Collective for Hope Executive Director Cliff McEvoy said the organization wanted to create a welcoming environment where people could openly address grief.
“We wanted this to feel like a community center,” McEvoy said. “We also wanted it to feel like a kind of a ‘cool school’ for kids when they come, and we can do arts and crafts, but all enveloped in that idea. We are here to, yeah, talk about grief, but also honor it and remember the people that we love.”
Grief does not follow a schedule, and certain times of the year can bring additional challenges. With the holidays approaching, traditions and moments normally spent together can make the absence of a loved one feel greater.
Omaha resident Hannah Adanghoudaie understands that experience firsthand. After losing a close friend to suicide about four or five years ago, she said the loss can still be especially difficult toward the end of the year.
“I, and others, are doing a lot better since it’s been about four, five years, but it’s still really hard, around like Christmas time especially,” Adanghoudaie said.
Collective for Hope recognizes that support can look different for each person. For some, it may mean talking with people who have experienced similar losses. For others, it may mean remembering a loved one or simply having a space where their grief is acknowledged.
With its new home now open, Collective for Hope hopes more people in Omaha know they do not have to navigate grief alone.
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