Grief Resources

Dr. Alan Wolfelt offers a comprehensive library of articles and book excerpts about grief for bereaved families, children, teens and caregivers. Articles are also available for assistance in creating a meaningful Eulogy and service of remembrance.

Free resource of videos to help you understand and move through grief. Work through these videos at your own pace finding comfort from grief specialists and those who have 'been there'.

GriefShare is a faith based small group study, meeting over a 13 week period designed for individuals after the loss of a loved one. This new edition of GriefShare includes topics such as Is This Normal?, Self-Care, Grief & Your Household, Hope & Resilience, What Do I Live For Now and much more. Several local churches host the GriefShare program and start dates are ongoing within the community.

Springfield Funeral Home recognizes GriefShare as a program with direction and purpose for those on a grief journey, offering healing and hope and has sponsored the course at many local churches, joining a network of thousands of grief recovery support groups meeting around the world. Please contact Joanne Bonk at 250 860 7077 or greifcare@springfieldfuneralhome.com if you have any questions about this support group or if you are interested in hosting this program at your church in the Central Okanagan, sponsored by Springfield Funeral Home.



Location: Trinity Church
Refinery - Family room
1905 Springfield Road, Kelowna
Dates: Tuesdays, Sept 19 to Dec 12, 2023
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm OR
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

Location: Willow Park Church
439 Highway 33, Kelowna
Dates: Wednesdays, Sept 6 to Nov 29
Time: 10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Location: Emmanuel Assembly
2600 Hebert Road, West Kelowna
Dates: Tuesdays, Sept 19 to Dec 12
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Emmanuel Assembly VIA ZOOM
Wednesdays, Sept 20 to Dec 13
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Losing a spouse brings a unique kind of pain. People who are widowed haven’t just lost a loved one—they’ve lost an entire lifestyle. Loss of a Spouse is a two-hour GriefShare seminar specifically designed for spouses who have lost their loved one. This series is video based offering advice from well-known professional counselors, pastors, men and women who have been recently widowed and have found help and encouragement. The video will be followed by a discussion time and each participant will receive a helpful guide containing exercises to read, work through and apply to their personal situation.

Topics include: what should I expect in the days after the loss, the surprising emotional, physical and spiritual effects of grief, why it won’t always hurt and much more.

Springfield Funeral Home recognizes Loss of a Spouse as a program with direction and purpose for those on a grief journey offering healing and hope and has sponsored this course joining a network of thousands of grief recovery support groups meeting around the world. Please contact Joanne Bonk at 250 860 7077 for more information.

Sept 15, 2023
Location: Trinity Church - Refinery - Family Room
1905 Springfield Road
9:30 am - 11:30 am
Register at www.griefshare.org search word 'Kelowna'

Think of your grief as a wilderness—a vast, inhospitable forest. You must journey through this wilderness. To find your way out, you must become acquainted with its terrain and learn to follow the sometimes hard-to-find trail that leads to healing.

A 12- week facilitated Grief Support Group
Tuesdays, 1:30 – 3:00, beginning September 12
Grace Lutheran Church,
1162 Hudson Road, West Kelowna
Facilitator: Randy Benson
randypbenson@gmail.com, 250-868-7205

Thursdays, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm beginning September 28
Mission Creek Alliance Church
2091 Springfield Road, Kelowna 250-860-2427
Facilitators: Lorna and Karen

Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

Grieving with Great HOPE is a bereavement resource for Catholic parishes and people who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Grieving with Great HOPE combines workshops, self study and personal journaling.
This 7 week support group is designed to help transform your grief journey through prayerful reflection, practical learning and personal fellowship.

2023 Dates TBD

Sponsored by Interior Health, KGH Foundation, Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, McDonalds and Springfield Funeral Home

For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, you are invited to participate in the WALK OF MEMORIES. This is an interactive and ceremonial 1km walk with four stations for participants to stop and reflect on the life of their loved one. The event concludes with refreshments, music, inspirational speakers and a closing ceremony. The event is free and wheelchair accessible. Volunteers will be available as walking partners.
For more information contact: KGH Spiritual Care 250-862-4114.

Date: Sunday, September 24, 2023
Time: Start walk between 2:00 and 2:45 pm - Closing ceremony at 3:30 pm
Location: The Dolphins at Waterfront Park, Kelowna

Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA) has a variety of bereavement programs including Spousal Loss groups, Mixed Loss groups, Bereaved Parents groups and Grief and Yoga groups; one on one support, walking groups, meditation and more. COHA offers support to help anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. All programs are offered in a safe and respectful space to share, listen and receive compassionate support from others.
FALL 2023 ADULT GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS
Spousal Loss Group - Tuesdays 10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Sept 26th to Nov 14th
Evening Mixed Loss Group - Tuesdays 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm - Sept 26th to Nov 14th
Traumatic Loss Group - Mondays 10:00 am to 12:00 pm - October 16th to Dec 4th

To register for support groups or for more information please contact Ian Kunitski, Director of Grief and Bereavement Services, at 250.763.5511 or email ian@hospicecoha.ca for more information.

Suite 200 – 1890 Cooper Road, Kelowna, BC V1Y 8B7
Mon – Thurs 8:00am – 4:00pm and Fri 8:00am – 1:00pm

Grief Support Group
Bi-weekly Ongoing - 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. No Charge
Location: Winfield United Church, 3751 Woodsdale Rd, Lake Country
Call: 778-215-5247 for more information
This group is open to anyone who has or is suffering from loss. Losing a loved one, going through a divorce/separation, recently diagnosed with an illness ... we have different situations that causes us to grieve. Join us and others as we support and work through this experience.

Moms Stop The Harm (MSTH) is a network of Canadian families whose loved ones have died from drug related harm, or who are struggling with substance use. Moms Stop the Harm wants to educate the public through their stories and advocacy hoping to reduce the misconceptions related to substance use and ensure that individuals get the support and treatment they rightfully deserve.

HEALING HEARTS is a free peer facilitated bereavement support group for individuals, families and friends who have lost loved ones to help them cope with the journey from grief to healing. Healing Hearts can help support individuals in feeling less isolated as you meet other individuals who have experienced a similar loss. For inquires and registration please email: KelownaHealingHearts@gmail.com

HOLDING HOPE is a free peer led support group for families impacted by substance use. Holding Hope groups offer support for families and individuals with loved one living with problematic substance use. For more information or to register please email: holdinghopekelowna@gmail.com

BCBH is a non-profit, free, and confidential service that connects the public to grief support services within the province of BC. Whether you are looking for bereavement support groups, community events, information on BC Bereavement Day, information on how to donate or to volunteer with us you will find it here. Please call the BC Bereavement Helpline and speak with one of our caring volunteers for information on our bereavement support groups, agencies, and peer-based support.
Your call is free, confidential, and anonymous. We will help you find the most appropriate support for your specific type of loss.
Call the Helpline at 604-738-9950, Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Toll free 1-877-779-2223 or email contact@bcbh.ca

The Compassionate Friends group meets monthly at First United Church, 721 Bernard Ave. and offers support in the grief and trauma which follows the death of a child; no matter the age or cause. They understand that people cannot be hurried through grief and the pain cannot be just taken away. They will help grieving parents understand more about this life altering experience. This meeting is geared for adults and children are not encouraged to attend. Monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month from 7:00 – 9:00 pm and although designed as drop in it is encouraged that new people call Linda at 250.807.2487 or an email at tcfkelowna@shaw.ca to let her know you will be attending.

Soaring Spirits provides widowed people with the chance to meet socially by creating a local community of widowed friends. Groups are lead by volunteer facilitators who plan outings twice a month. The aim is to assist widowed people in getting back out into the world with a group of understanding friends by their side.

Michelle - Call or text: 431-301-3901
At the website below, enter "Kelowna" into the "Find regional events near you" field.

Clair Jantzen helps the bereaved understand grief as an important part of finding themselves again. People who have experienced the loss of a loved one, look to reclaim their lives again. Clair shows clients how they can use their pain and tears as a catalyst into a healthy, hope-filled future.

As a Grief & Loss Counselor, Educator and Author, Clair offers over 30 years’ experience, counselling those who have suffered loss. www.clairjantzen.ca

Here are links to two of his videos:

At ESTATE READY we understand the difficulty of organizing and distributing a lifetime of belongings during a time of grief.
Let us shoulder the tasks of immediate needs, preparing an inventory, organization of belongings, maintenance, cleaning and act as contact for Real Estate, Home Staging and Contractors.
Practical and efficient help - when you need it.

The Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA) annually presents the Butterfly Effect, typically held in June. The community is encouraged to join us in coming together to remember, connect and celebrate. The magnificent release of the butterflies is an opportunity for our community to release a butterfly in honour and memory of a loved one who has died.

The Butterfly Effect is a meaningful remembrance is for all ages. More information will be posted mid 2024.