Nonprofit helps grieving children find hope after loss

Arcadia News
Jan. 1, 2026
by Michael P. Murphy

Losing a family member, and especially a child, is one of life’s worst tragedies. In the dark cloud of grief, there is a need for hope and support. To move on, but not forget.

New Song Center for Grieving Children, a program of Hospice of the Valley since 2009, is a nonprofit with compassionate staff and volunteers, offering well-designed programs to help with the process. 

Cindy Widner, Gabrielle Lawrence, Heather Devich, and original board member Eloise Cole founded New Song in 1989 to support kids and families grieving a death. 

Gabrielle had completed her doctoral thesis in this exact topic. She set out to provide services for children beyond professional therapy.

New Song offers age-appropriate groups for children, teens, and young adults. In addition, there are groups for families whose child has died (Enduring Ties) and for bilingual families (Luz del Corazon). All are well structured and led by volunteer facilitators twice a month across the Valley.

Arcadia resident Jill Lovill, who serves as clinical director, said the organization is all about being there for others – not counseling.

“Especially the peer support group model,” she said. “Kids support each other, and we’re there to facilitate. We start in a small group with an icebreaker to get them into a group communication mindset. Then we go over the rules.”

Those are straightforward: It’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be emotional. It’s also okay to pass, as no one is ever put on the spot or forced to say anything until they’re comfortable sharing. This is followed by a sharing circle, where participants name their special person and any other details they may want to speak on.

“We do a grief-processing activity for the kids,” Jill said. “It’s play-based or art-based, with a little bit of creative expression. Then everyone comes back together and we have a little closing ceremony.”

One facilitator marveled at how open teens are in a group environment: “Kids want to talk,” he said. “They may not always tell their parents what’s going on.”

It’s about listening, sharing, and supporting one another in a group setting, which leads to healing. Many who have attended New Song have said they do not know how they could have worked through their grief otherwise.

When the joy of life has faded because of a lost loved one, hope can be found through shared experiences with other grieving families, bringing comfort, understanding, and healing. A new life. A new song.