Curated by Takyrah Anderson
Tell us your name and the name of the project or initiative you are involved with.
“This year is Lighthouse’s 25th anniversary and throughout those years we have supported thousands of families as they navigated one of the most difficult times of their lives,”
My name is Anne Smith and I am the Executive Director of the Lighthouse for Grieving Children.
What have you most loved and appreciated about the community project/initiative that you are involved in?
The sense of community that we provide for grieving families. At Lighthouse, we offer a safe, non-judgmental space where children can be with others who “get” them, which is so important to be able to work through their grief journey. They can have lots of close friends to support them but unless their friend has suffered a death in their family, they won’t fully understand the depth of their grief. Our program is free for families which reduces any barriers to accessing support.
What is your connection to the project/initiative, and why is it so important to you? 
I’ve been working with Lighthouse for the past 3 years but have known about the organization for many years from my role with another local nonprofit organization. I am passionate about the work we do here. I have had a couple of friends who have had a child die and I saw the heartbreak and toll that took on the family. The experience of a “life-altering death” changes the entire family and will affect a child’s life from then onwards.
“We also saw an interest in a Young Adults group as our teens were aging out and wanted to continue to get support,”
What is happening through the project/initiative that you would like to see more of?
More funding. We recently received some municipal funding and that is our only source of government funding. To run the organization and keep programming free we rely on the generosity of the community such as corporations, foundations, service clubs and individuals.
We recently held our Run 4 Lighthouse, our largest fundraiser which attracted over 1100 participants and raised over $250,000. These much needed funds will help us keep our programming free for families.
In the past few years, we have seen an increase in demand for our services and we are almost at capacity. We also saw an interest in a Young Adults group as our teens were aging out and wanted to continue to get support. Therefore, this past year we started two 19 – 24 age groups that are strictly online to reduce any geographical barriers.
What impact does Lighthouse have on the Halton community?
This year is Lighthouse’s 25th anniversary and throughout those years we have supported thousands of families as they navigated one of the most
difficult times of their lives. By providing grief support, we are investing in the emotional well-being of children, teens, and young adults for years to come. Entire communities benefit when the needs of youths are addressed at the right time.
Lighthouse is also a valuable community resource providing training, consultation, and educational presentations on the topic of children’s grief to school staff, health care professionals, social services professionals, funeral home staff and many others throughout our community. In addition to 350+ children, teens and caregivers served in support groups annually, Lighthouse reaches hundreds more each year through our educational presentations, consultations, and the Children’s Grief Awareness Symposium. Lighthouse offers free telephone consultations across Ontario to help families navigate other resources available to them, find local bereavement supports or assist with questions relating to anticipatory grieving, children attending funerals and many similar topics.
What would you want or need from the community to make your next steps successful?
Partnerships to help us get the word out about our organization so we can help more children.
If all those good things happened, what could be made possible in our community that wasn’t possible before?
More families getting support.
For more information about The Lighthouse for Grieving Children, visit their website with this link: https://lighthousegriefsupport.org/
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What would happen if we celebrated what is strong in Halton?
Community Development Halton is interested in sharing the news of individuals, groups and organizations that are strength based, working at the edges and the middle of issues of community well-being, social justice and community building in Halton.
If you are interested in sharing your story, please head to the following LINK. We are excited to hear from you!