Atlanta non-profit helps hundreds of children a year who are coping with a death, and soon plan to expand to statewide throughout Georgia
At Kate's Club, it's OK to grieve.
That's the message from the Atlanta non-profit to children going through the death of a loved one.
In Georgia, one in 12 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. Kate's Club helps children and families find comfort and healing through facilitated peer support.
"Kate's Club provides a space where kids connect with other children going through a similar experience," says Lane Pease, Director of Programs & Partnerships for Kate's Club. "We build a healing community. We provide support for years, whatever the families need."
Opened in 2003, Kate's Club provides social and therapeutic programming for children ages 5-18 who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. It uses structured play therapy to help kids cope with feelings through music, art, and many other outlets.
The free program has served more than 6,000 children since its beginning, helping thousands of families a year in Metro Atlanta and from its satellite location in Newnan. It also supports parents and is a place where they can learn from others in the same situation and find solace in knowing they are not alone.
"I want nothing but the best for my kids," a parent testified on Kate Club's website. "I realized that I can't protect them from all hurt, but at Kate's Club they can express their hurt and sorrow and be comforted by a devoted loving place where it's okay to cry or miss their loved one."
Kate's Club teaches grief education and offers community support to those who encounter bereaving children, including school counselors, teachers, after-school youth development leaders, and those working in the juvenile justice system.
LOKATE is Kate Club's young adult program that provides support through virtual and in-person programs for 18- to 30-year-olds who have experienced the death of someone important to them.
Kate's Club is expanding statewide throughout Georgia and has launched program offerings in Coastal, Southeast, and Middle Georgia.
Learn more at www.katesclub.org.
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