Healing Communities: Remembering Lewiston-Beacons of Hope Grief Support Group

Date: 10/24/2024

With the one-year anniversary since the Lewiston shooting, Beacons of Hope Grief Support Group is creating space to remember and honor the victims of the tragedy, and offer a dialogue about collective trauma and grief connected to a tragedy like Lewiston. 

This month’s Beacons will be hosted on a special evening on Wednesday, October 30, 5:30-7:30 pm at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in partnership with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Attendees are asked to reserve their seat and sign up here. 

The Support Group event will include:

• A presentation and dialogue led by Mary Gagnon, LMFT, program director who oversees grief support at NAMI Maine, around collective trauma and grief
• Collective gathering in the chapel for a candlelight memorial service and music to honor the victims of Lewiston and other mass shooting events 
• A therapy dog from Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center will be present to offer comfort.
• Resources for support around traumatic and collective grief

More about Beacons of Hope:

• In November 2023, began hosting a monthly bereavement program to assist individuals and families who experience loss in transforming their grief to healing by providing support and outreach services.
• Additionally, our monthly grief gathering will provide support and guidance to bereaved individuals and families following the death of a loved one at the medical center, as well as to those in the community seeking support.
• Our collaborative bereavement programming will feature:
  • Monthly event about experiencing and coping with loss with breakout discussions.
  • Information and resources about grief
  • Memorial services to honor those who have died
  • Referral information to peer support groups in the community and counseling services.
• For those interested in attending a monthly grief gathering, there is no ongoing commitment expected – participants are encouraged to attend sessions as needed every second Monday of the month. These sessions will be hosted in-person at the medical center in Mason Auditorium from 5 pm to 7 pm.
• Questions? Email Stacey Coventry, director of community engagement, at scoventry@northernlight.org.