As part of the San Antonio community, at Alamo City Moms Blog we feel strongly that we are part of something bigger than the small worlds we operate in daily. San Antonio is a city rich with incredible not-for-profit organizations and resources that support different needs of San Antonio families, mothers, and children. Once a month, we will be spotlighting a not-for-profit agency that we feel the ACMB community needs to know about.
We are honored to begin this series with the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas. I became familiar with the CBCST through its partnership with the Junior League of San Antonio. I was able to volunteer at the facility and knew there was something special about this place. It wasn’t until a precious friend (and ACMB’s 2014 Amazing Mom), Allison, lost her husband and talked of the personal impact that the CBCST has made on her children that I understood the power of the services that this amazing organization offers. In Allison’s words:
“The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas has been a place of refuge, healing, and equipping for my family following the sudden loss of my husband. A refuge in that we can enter and feel safe to share, as well as be heard and understood. There is something to be said about being in the presence of those who understand by experience your journey.
Healing takes place as my children play, physically expressing their emotional pain. These sessions progress them through the grief process at an age-appropriate pace. The center equips me as a parent with tools to facilitate a healthy grief process for our entire family. I feel undergirded and supported as I walk through this new season of grief alongside my two young children. What a gift this place has been to our family. “
Started in May 1997, the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas is the only provider of grief support for children through young adults in our area. The CBCST recognizes and understands that children grieve differently than adults do and believes that children need specific support to help them deal with loss. Even more, while the children are receiving grief counseling, their caretakers are able to meet with support groups and individual and family counseling.
Taking a tour of the Children’s Bereavement Center will show you just how unique and special its facilities and services are. Its beautiful and welcoming building is equipped to offer therapy to children through play, art, music, drama, counseling, and even a “rumpus room,” where kids can get their aggression out in a safe environment.
Peer Grief Support Groups are not only based on a child’s age but also the type of loss that a child experiences: the loss of a parent, sibling, or family member due to illness, sudden death, violence, or suicide. Counseling is specific, as the CBCST understands that support needs for different types of loss are necessary.
If you have experienced loss in your family, I urge you to reach out to the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas for support, even if this loss took place some time ago. Services are free and crucial to helping children cope with loss. If you would like to support this amazing resource, you can do so through monetary donation, by helping fulfill its wish list of supplies, or by volunteering your time and services.
Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas
205 West Olmos Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78212
210-736-HUGS
www.cbcst.org
