Diversity and Inclusion

Grief Support for All

Grief affects everyone, but it’s a complex and personal experience shaped by factors like cultural background. At Seasons Centre, we’re dedicated to understanding grief through a multicultural lens. By attending local events and connecting with diverse communities in Simcoe County, we aim to create programs that support all children and families in our region.

We also prioritize providing a safe space for LGBTQ2S+ individuals. Having completed Safer Spaces training through the Gilbert Centre, we proudly participate in local pride events to better serve the unique grief needs of this community.

Cultural Humility

Cultural humility is a process of self-reflection used to understand privilege, as well as personal and systemic biases. Seasons Centre encourages its staff and volunteer teams to learn about and utilize this approach as they develop and maintain mutually trusting and respectful relationships with children and families.

A culturally humble approach acknowledges that we are all learners when it comes to understanding another person’s grief journey. At our centre, a majority of our programming is peer-support oriented. This allows children, teens, young adults and caregivers the opportunity to gather, connect, and learn from the stories and experiences of one another.

A parent using chalk drawing with their young child

Mission & Values

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children provides support and education for bereaved children, youth, and caregivers within the diverse communities we serve.

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children provides peer to peer support groups in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory, safe, home like atmosphere for children, teens, young adults and caregivers grieving death of a loved one; supporting them as they adjust emotionally to regenerate a sense of self and reconstruct their world.

With this mission and with the well-being of all grieving families in our community in mind, we will demonstrate Seasons Centre’s commitment to equity and inclusion and specifically, fair and inclusive access to meaningful and relevant resources and services for all people who are grieving in our community.

Why Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Matter

Our mission is to explore how our grief support services can work alongside community and public health initiatives to tackle ongoing disparities related to race, gender, nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, culture, disability, age, creed, religion, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other identities within our diverse community. We acknowledge that our organization is part of the broader systems that contribute to these disparities, benefiting some while disadvantaging others. Consequently, some individuals may have found it easier to access our services, while others may have encountered obstacles or barriers to accessing meaningful services, employment, or volunteer opportunities.

Recognizing these disparities and understanding that families do not grieve in isolation from cultural and societal influences, Seasons Centre for Grieving Children is committed to continually refining our values, policies, procedures, and practices to promote equity and inclusion for our staff, board members, volunteers, program participants, and the wider community. Our aim is to create a safe and supportive environment for all children and families experiencing grief, with a heightened awareness of the societal, cultural, and historical factors that influence grief and access to our services.

Our Commitment

Work we’ve done to expand knowledge.

At Seasons Centre, we are on a journey to expand our knowledge of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism by participating in regional and national trainings and campaigns. It is through participation in education, movements, and local events that we grow and strengthen our understanding of these topics and how we can best serve our community and their grief needs.

Safer Space.

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children is a SAFE SPACE for the LGBTQQIP2SAA community.

Seasons Centre strives to deliver inclusive service, affirming the dignity of those they serve, regardless of heritage, education, beliefs, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental health, physical or cognitive capabilities, or socioeconomic status.

Seasons Centre team members act to ensure that people can enjoy services free from any attempt by others to impose values, customs, or beliefs.

We are proud to have become a designated Safer Space, click here to find out more:
https://www.saferspaces.ca/blog/Seasons-Centre-for-Grieving-Children

Truth and Reconciliation

We are dedicated to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action. These calls include commitments to build respectful relationships, ensure equitable access to support for Indigenous peoples, and provide comprehensive education for our team on the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. This includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and First Nations rights.

In 2022, our team completed the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) training through the University of Manitoba and has developed reconciliACTION plans. Our commitment extends to maintaining and growing our relationships with Indigenous peoples and providing ongoing training and education on reconciliation and decolonization.

Making Change

Seasons Centre staff have taken part in Anti-Black racism training with a local non-profit called Making Change. The non-profit is founded and led by Black women throughout the region of Simcoe County. The training was titled, “Starting the Conversation: If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes”. The training allowed staff to learn from the expertise of another local non-profit and connect with each other during the process. Ultimately, trainings like this assist Seasons Centre in maintaining a space that welcomes everyone and does not tolerate discrimination.

Find out more about Making Change and their education courses.

Learn More

#ITSTARTS Movement

Seasons Centre is a proud participant of the #ITSTARTS movement here in Simcoe County. The campaign utilizes the power of social media to bring about discussions surrounding anti-racism, discrimination, and inclusivity. In 2024, we got involved by posting EDI related posts on our social media platforms, including book recommendations and grief-related education. The movement creates relationships between various agencies and organizations throughout the County of Simcoe, allowing everyone to promote a unified community that values collective action against racism and discrimination.

To learn more about the campaign, check out its official website.

Learn More

Resources

Always Sisters

Description: Raya can’t wait for her baby sister to arrive. She’s already got a name – Nura – and Raya is certain they’ll be best friends. She’s got all kinds of plans for things they’ll do together like run through the sprinklers, play dress-up, and give piggyback rides. But one day, her mom returns from the doctor with tears in her eyes. Nura won’t be coming home after all. Raya feels confused and sad, like all the love she has for Nura is trapped inside her. With the help of family, friends, and her school counselor, Raya finds a way to grieve this loss and to share the love she’ll always feel for her sister.

Trudy’s Healing Stone

Description: Everyone gets sad, angry, frustrated and disappointed. Difficult emotions are a natural part of life. In this book, Trudy’s Healing Stone, Trudy Spiller shares a special teaching about a practice that anyone can use to help them process their feelings with the help of Mother Earth.
The author, Trudy Spiller, is part of the Gitxsan Nation in British Columbia and belongs to the House of Gwininitxw of the Wolf Clan. Trudy’s traditional name, Lugaganowals, means a frog
that is always leaning or giving. Today, she helps families grow and flourish by sharing her knowledge of First Nation medicine, food, dress, and practices.

The ghosts we keep

Description: When Liam Cooper’s older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam must not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationship with his two best friends. Feeling more alone and isolated than ever, Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus, Ethan’s best friend, and through Marcus, Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they’re going through, for the better, and the worse.
Genres: Young Adult, LGBTQ2S+, Mental Health, Romance, Fiction

Vision & Future

At Seasons Centre, we continuously strive to maintain a welcoming centre for all children, youth, and families who are grieving. As part of this commitment, we value having conversations with individuals from diverse backgrounds to learn from one another and identify possible barriers to our services. This also means that we care about creating a physical space that both children and parents feel comfortable visiting. Ultimately, we will continue to listen, learn and be guided by the voices of our community to maintain an inclusive centre.

Suggestion Box

Your voice is vital to our growth and success in fostering a truly inclusive environment.

Please feel free to leave comments in our suggestion box below on how you believe we could continue improving our centre to be inclusive to all the diverse communities we serve.

Email us

Please feel free to email us your suggestions on how you believe we could continue improving our centre to be inclusive to all the diverse communities we serve.

Land Acknowledgement

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children and all of us here today recognize that we are on Treaty 16 territory. We humbly and respectfully acknowledge the original caretakers of this Land, the Haudenosaunee, Ojibway/Chippewa, and the Anishinaabeg Peoples, who have been stewards of their traditional territories from the beginning. We also acknowledge that today Barrie is the home of many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from all across Turtle Island. We recognize and honor their ongoing connections to this Land where we live and work.

As Seasons Centre is an organization that provides grief support in our community, we acknowledge the intergenerational grief and trauma that persists for Indigenous communities with the impact of Residential Schools, the 60’s Scoop, the current overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in care, and the ongoing epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirit people. At this time of truth and reconciliation, we understand that colonialism is an ongoing process and that Indigenous peoples’ relationships to the Land are not a thing of the past – they too are ongoing. We are therefore committed to reflecting on our Treaty responsibilities and working towards reconciliation and relationship-building with the peoples of this Land and all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.