Grieving children need you: Become a volunteer at Lacrima!

Grieving children need you: Become a volunteer at Lacrima!

A lot is happening in Upper Franconia to help grieving children and young people. Lacrima, a Johanniter grief center, is looking for committed volunteers who would like to act as grief companions. The initiative supports young people who have lost a loved one and offers them a valuable opportunity to process their grief. Since 2016, group sessions have been held in this context in which those affected are cared for and can exchange ideas with one another. The director of Lacrima, Bernadette Sauerschell, emphasizes the need to expand the team of volunteers in order to be able to offer even more support. New training to become a grief counselor will be offered in fall 2025, which will last three weekends. The joy of working with children and the willingness to deal with your own experiences of grief are essential here - no previous training is required.

How can those affected receive support? Lacrima offers a safe and trusting environment in which children can be themselves. The loss of a parent or sibling is a hard blow for many young people, and they often grieve differently than adults. Through play, painting and creative expression, they can learn to share their grief and understand that they are not alone in their feelings. Regular group lessons offer learning excerpts and rituals that support processing grief. The icing on the cake: Lacrima is free for the affected families, but is financed through donations.

Locations and support

The Lacrima initiative is not only active in Upper Franconia, but also has locations in large cities such as Augsburg, Dresden, Hamburg and Munich. Volunteers and specialists work here to help children and young people accept their grief and deal with it. The support is of great importance because if there is a death in the family, children and young people are doubly burdened. In addition to their own grief, they also experience the crisis of the entire family, while parents are often trapped in their grief and cannot interpret their children's signals. The German Red Cross (DRK) offers similar help in Versmold, with Jens Burkschat, a dedicated grief counselor, himself drawing on a stroke of fate and wanting to help others.

Donation opportunities and commitment

Not only are volunteers needed, financial support is also essential for Lacrima's work. The organization offers various options for support:

• 20 Euro für eine Stunde Kunst- und Maltherapie
• 50 Euro für die Ausbildung von Fachkräften
• 100 Euro für einen Monat Teilnahme an einer Trauergruppe

A mixture of creative therapy methods and human care helps grieving young people process their emotions and find a way out of their grief. The opportunities for engagement are diverse and every contribution counts. The initiatives of Lacrima and other institutions show how important it is to give young people in grief a voice and to show that they are not alone. If you have a good knack for working with children and want to dedicate yourself to a meaningful task, then volunteering at Lacrima is just right for you.

For more information about Lacrima's project and ways to support, check out the details Frankenpost and the offers of the Johanniter Johanniter to. The DRK is also on the site drk.de valuable insights into their support offers.