This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

The New Jersey Association of Student Councils Raises $105,000 for Good Grief!

New Jersey Association of Student Councils raises $105K for Good Grief, providing support to the hundreds of families Good Grief helps from more than 100 towns in NJ.

 

Over the past nine months the New Jersey Association for Student Councils (NJASC) has actively raised money to support Good Grief, New Jersey’s premier resource for grieving children and the fastest growing children’s bereavement center in the country.

The NJASC chose Good Grief last year as its charity, inspired by Good Grief’s mission and the free peer-support groups it provides children and families from more than 100 towns. Good Grief Board Chair, Patrick Sullivan, said “the work of the NJASC over this past year has been extraordinary. Children and teens throughout the state have been inspired by Good Grief and as a result worked hard to support our mission. Our impact is greater thanks to this hard work.”

Find out what's happening in Cranfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each year the NJASC chooses a worthy charity to support. This past year they held carwashes, talent shows, musical performances, and many other initiatives to support New Jersey’s grieving children. Thanks to the NJASC Good Grief received a check for $105,000 during the NJASC annual meeting at Six Flags Great Adventure on May 10, 2012.

“Good Grief will continue to be a leader in the field and in New Jersey because of our advocacy work and our collaborations thanks to the help of the NJASC,” said Marisa Bolognese, Executive Director. “The NJASC worked tirelessly to help us and we are inspired by their passion.”

Find out what's happening in Cranfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Good Grief is also exploring satellite locations in underserved communities. This will be the first of its kind in New Jersey. “With the help of these raised funds and the need being so great in so many underserved communities, Good Grief hopes to provide support through a satellite location within the next 6-12 months,” said Bolognese.

Good Grief traveled to more than 14 counties in New Jersey to offer workshops at schools, like the entire 8th grade class at Timberlane Middle School in Pennington, and promote awareness about grieving children.

Associate Executive Director, Joe Primo, who also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance for Grieving Children, said “The thousands of children we spoke to this year in more than 14 counties were moved by the mission and wanted to make a difference. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Good Grief, I think, left a huge impact on the kids this year. It was great to be a part of this initiative. The NJASC is training great leaders through their work on the student council.”

During the assembly of Student Councils from Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey, Sally Kelly, a participant at Good Grief, and her three children were in attendance. “I lost my husband last year,” she told the student body. “Thank you for helping me and my children. Our lives will never be the same. But to look at all of you today who support us is just overwhelming. We are so grateful. Thank you!”

For more information about Good Grief you can visit www.good-grief.org. More information about the NJASC, which is the oldest Student Council Association in the US, visit www.njasc.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?