Healing Hearts Memorial Garden

Aperçu:

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-WECB) in Windsor-Essex offers the only free bereavement programs for children and adults in our community. These programs provide education and support to help individuals understand, cope and express grief in a healthy way. Our Griefworks Program also provides education for the adult community attached to the child so they can support the children in a healthy way. In 2010, our bereavement programs served nearly 1500 people in our community. These programs have made a difference in the lives of many people over the last 20 years. Many family members have gone on to volunteer with our agency, they feel compelled to give back to our agency. Over the last several years, many families have indicated that a memorial garden would be a great extension of our bereavement program. Creating a peaceful and life affirming space for our clients would be beneficial to our bereavement program as well as other support groups that meet regularly at our agency. This would be a safe place where families and individual can grieve in a private and supportive environment. A garden will also offer an opportunity for reflection, conduct support groups, offer educational workshops, offer a place to rest and provide encouragement. Healing gardens create physical and social interaction that can aid in the stimulation of sensory and cognitive communication skills. Physical surroundings play an important role in a person's overall mental health. In times of grief, the environment is even more important in the healing process. It is important to offer a tranquil refuge for individuals dealing with grief; a garden can provide a soothing sanctuary that would give them some solace. Our current main branch property has an appropriate space for a healing garden. Located to the south of our main building, we have had preliminary drawings completed. The garden would have various small areas to provide privacy for families and/or individuals looking for a private location to reflect and remember their loved one. The garden would also provide sufficient open space to accommodate support groups offered at the branch. The addition of a healing garden is a natural extension of our current bereavement programs and would offer another way to keep families involved in our agency, through volunteerism. The garden would also assist in the further promotion of our bereavement programs, increasing the prevention of mental illness in grieving individuals seeking help. The garden will be professionally landscaped; however the maintenance and development of the garden every season would have elements fitting for a rewarding volunteer experience. The ongoing relationship and meaningful connection with our agency is a great extension of enhanced community relations. The Healing Hearts Memorial Garden would provide increased opportunities to educate the public about mentally healthy ways to grieve the loss of a loved one. The garden offers a free open space to visit for relaxation and benefit their own mental health. With the addition of trees and flowers, the garden will serve to beautify the grounds of our main branch and the surrounding residential community. When the people in our community are healthier, both physically and mentally, it makes our community a better place to live and play. It is our mission at CMHA-WECB to enhance and promote the mental health of persons and support the resilience and recover of people experiencing mental illness in our community through education, prevention, advocacy and services. We strive to deliver high quality services and the option of using a healing garden as an extension of our bereavement program resources is a great way to improve our community and how we serve the needs of our clients. We need your support to make this dream a reality. Vote for the Healing Hearts Memorial Garden. The difference will be found in the lives of the many families that have suffered the loss of a loved one and the broader community that will benefit from a new beautiful community space. Thank you in advance for helping us achieve our vision of "Mentally Healthy People in a Healthy Society."