“My husband died during COVID, when the traditions that normally accompany a death were gone. I couldn’t have a funeral. I couldn’t visit him in the hospital. He died alone.

Being in a group of people who had a similar experience—not just the death of a spouse but also grieving during the pandemic, when many of us were isolated and all alone—was a unique and affirming experience for all of us. There were some very heart-wrenching, heartbreaking times, but we also learned to laugh. My group was so supportive and so loving. OUR HOUSE was exactly the community that I needed at that particular time. We were all going through the same thing and feeling alone. We were able to connect and share experiences. We actually call ourselves the “Solo Sisters.” We had our first meeting in person after five months on Zoom, and we were like giddy teenagers! The Solo Sisters have been meeting ever since.

OUR HOUSE has given such an enormous gift to those of us who are left behind. I don’t know what I would have done without the group. I think one thing that OUR HOUSE does is recognize the significance of a human connection. Anybody who participates in it, donates money, volunteers, I can’t thank you enough. ”

“I was a bit shy when I first started group because it felt like everyone there already knew what to do. My group really helped me figure it all out because now I’m not that shy anymore. I loved my group at OUR HOUSE, and we have stayed in touch since it ended. We play lots of video games together and go to each other’s birthday parties.

I would like to say thank you so much to the teen leaders and group leaders who helped me cope and to all the kids I met there. I want to really thank OUR HOUSE for having this group and for helping all the other kids who also lost their parents. Attending group changed my feelings about grief.”