Building Community Through Grief: A Look at Ele’s Place

Is there a place where children can find the support they need when someone important to them dies? For our community spotlight, I bring you to Ele’s Place, a grief support center founded in 1991 after the loss of Betsy Stover’s daughter, Ele. It all began in a church basement, and now they have helped over 34,000 people, offering free services to children as young as three to adults.

Kristine Kuhnert, the director of Ele’s Place, explained their unique approach to grief, stressing the importance of clear language. During my visit, she showed me the different rooms designed for various age groups and how they are designed for different age groups. They also partner with local schools to raise awareness on handling grief and how Ele’s Place can be of service to children and families dealing with loss.

You can catch the full video above or skip ahead using the timestamps below:

0:00 — Community spotlight: Ele’s Place

0:38 — Background of Ele’s Place: Founding story and history (1991)

1:25 — Current statistics on childhood grief

2:05 — Jeff’s personal experience with grief

3:04 — Tour of the facility: The Family room

3:42 — The Wiggle room and emotional management

4:18 — Pre-school and kindergarten room

4:36 — Creative zones and play for children

5:12 — Candyland

5:45 — Facilitating grief sessions with different age groups

6:25 — Young adult room

6:52 — Teen zone

7:53 — Activities and projects for managing grief

8:10 — Middle school room

8:20 — Grief management tools

9:37 — Graffiti wall

10:08 — Adult and Parent Support Groups

10:33 — Family room and library

11:12 — Community outreach and partnerships

11:58 — How to contact us

12:10 — Final thoughts on the impact of the organization

If you want to learn more about Ele’s Place, feel free to visit their website. Let’s chat if you want help with real estate. Reach out by phone, email, or DM—Our contact details are (517) 853-6385 and jeff@jeffburkeassociates.com. We’ll be happy to talk with you.