News Summary
Dustin’s Place, a grief support center in Plymouth, Indiana, is set to undergo significant renovations to enhance services for grieving families. The new facility aims to offer additional resources including family grief groups and school-based programs, all free of charge. With the current space often at capacity, the expansion hopes to better accommodate the community’s needs. The organization’s founder, motivated by personal loss, is committed to providing essential support for children and families dealing with grief.
Plymouth, Indiana – Dustin’s Place, a local grief support center, is embarking on a significant renovation to establish a new facility aimed at enhancing its services for grieving families. The expansion is framed as a “renewal of hope” by the organization’s Executive Director, with expectations to broaden the range of grief support available in the community.
The forthcoming facility will provide crucial new services such as Monday night family grief groups, school-based grief programs, and crisis response services—all offered free of charge to those in need. Over the past five years, Dustin’s Place has positively impacted the lives of more than 900 children and their families, and with the new facility, the organization hopes to extend its reach further.
Currently operating from a borrowed space at Plymouth Community Church, Dustin’s Place is experiencing high demand, with around 85 individuals attending sessions on Monday nights and approximately 160 people served monthly. The center aims to accommodate over 300 individuals in the new location, alleviating time constraints and enhancing access to support.
The planned renovations will introduce various specialized rooms to facilitate different forms of healing and expression for grieving children. These include an art express room dedicated to art therapy, a volcano room designed for children to physically express their grief, and a sensory room aimed at providing a calming environment for emotional processing. Additionally, the new center will feature shared family spaces, group rooms, and comfortable seating to foster a supportive atmosphere conducive to discussing feelings of grief.
Anticipating groundbreaking for the new facility in April, Dustin’s Place is aiming for completion by October. To fund this essential project, the organization is working to secure an additional $160,000 to cover the renovation costs and furnish the new facility adequately. Ancon Construction has been selected to assist in creating a suitable environment for children experiencing grief.
Dustin’s Place was founded in memory of Viki Brown’s late husband, who died in a car accident in 2016. This personal loss led Brown to identify a significant gap in resources available for grieving children in the Plymouth area, motivating her to create an organization that could address these needs. The nonprofit emphasizes the importance of developing healthy coping skills in children processing grief to prevent the turn towards harmful methods of coping.
The center’s commitment to providing free, accessible services highlights its dedication to supporting families during challenging times. As Dustin’s Place moves forward with its expansion, the organization reaffirms its mission to be a beacon of support and hope in the community.
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Additional Resources
- WSBT: Dustin’s Place Grief Support Center Renovation
- WNDY: Dustin’s Place Finds New Home
- Google Search: Dustin’s Place grief support
- Patch: Plymouth Charter School Adds Grief Counselors
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Grief
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