Rick's Place, Inc.

Rick's Place goal is to offer free, compassionate grief support to every child and family in need of our services throughout Western MA and Northern Connecticut.

Our team strives to make the availability of our free support services known to all communities served. Press releases, mailings to school counselors and funeral directors have made our program widely known. Throughout the history of this program a child or family has never been turned away due to lack of space. Our directors utilize great flexibility and creativity in making certain that all who need grief support are welcomed at Rick's Place.

Rick's Place Board of Directors is committed to working as a team with staff and volunteers to make our programs accessible to all who need it. Thanks to great generosity from our community, Rick's Place moved to a new family-friendly bereavement center in 2018. We are currently offering our services for children and families via a virtual platform. Our staff continues to deliver training programs to educators, counselors, etc. School grief groups will be provided in area schools. Rick's Place Board of Directors is always willing to make additional funding available whenever a need for programmatic growth is evident. All of our programs have been modified, during COVID-19, to best meet the needs of grieving families during theses challenging times. We look forward to providing in person grief support as soon as it is safe to do so.

Rick's Place has grown from a pilot program with six children in 2007 to a vibrant child bereavement center in 2021. Area school districts frequently reach out to our staff to offer trainings for faculty and staff or for support following the death of a member of their school community. Families that had participated in our programs at our site have transitioned to virtual programming when necessary. It is inspiring to see children and teens offer each other compassion and care as they make their way on their grief journeys. As we prepare for the start of the 2022 Winter/Spring Session, we have found an increase in the number of families in need of free support and requests from schools for in-school groups. Rick's Place Board of Directors, staff and volunteers remain prepared to make certain that every family receives the support they need.