One of the founders of Stephy’s Place, Sheila Martello, who lost her husband in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, found comfort in support groups of other people who lost family members on 9/11, to the point that they became friends and continued to meet socially for many years. When she realized how rare such groups were, she asked her original support group to recreate the experience for other people coping with grief. And Stephy’s Place was born in 2015.
Stephy’s Place serves more than 200 people in more than 25 groups each week. The free groups help those dealing with loss of a child, a sibling, a spouse, a parent, among others, reports Jenna O’Donnell in The Two River Times.
“We live in a culture where people want you to get over your grief as soon as possible,” Martello said. “Our goal is to provide a safe environment for people to share their stories.”
