Imagine Celebrates Amazing Volunteers!

On a beautiful summer night, staff and volunteers from Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss gathered at the Masker’s Barn in the Watchung Reservation to celebrate Imagine’s volunteers and all they do to support Imagine’s families. Volunteers enjoyed dinner and a program acknowledging each of the volunteers present, followed by s’mores made on the fire outside the barn and the opportunity to play games and connect with one another.

Imagine’s volunteer facilitators complete a 3-day training program before offering an evening of their time, every other week to facilitate a peer support group for children, youth, young adults or their caregivers who are grieving a loss due to death. Groups are held in Newark, Mountainside or virtually and Imagine has a team of over 100 facilitators creating safe spaces where participants can share their stories and receive support. Imagine’s Mountainside Program and Partnership Manager, Kristin Imbimbo, CCLS said this about Imagine’s volunteers: “We couldn’t run our support groups without our wonderful volunteers! These amazing individuals come from all walks of life and volunteer for many different reasons. They’re willing to give a few hours of their time twice a month to hold space for our families with open hearts and listening ears, and we truly value what they bring to our program.”

Here's what some of Imagine’s facilitators have said about their experience:

I love Imagine- I love the people, I love the model and I love being a part of this incredible place.

-Kathy-11+ years facilitating at Imagine

I feel like I get more back than I give, from the participants, my fellow facilitators, and the staff.

-Debbie-9+ years facilitating at Imagine

As I offer space for healing to others, I too am healed.

-Thomas-6 years facilitating at Imagine

Imagine staff were so happy to celebrate their wonderful team of volunteers and would like to invite others to join this incredible community. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with Imagine, please visit their website at www.imaginenj.org.

Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss is a 501c3 that offers grief and loss education and training to the community and free year-round grief support groups for children ages 3-18 and young adults 19-30 who are coping with a loss due to death. Concurrently, support groups are available for the parents and guardians of the children in the groups and offered in English and Spanish. For more information please contact Imagine at 908-264-3100 or [email protected] or visit our website at www.imaginenj.org.