Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be difficult for anyone, under any circumstances. For the many children who
have experienced loss during COVID-19, that process has been made even harder.
With a substantial contribution from The RRPC Innovation Foundation to the Education Foundation of Niagara, the
DSBN will be providing clinical supports for students to help them effectively cope with grief and loss. “On average, by
the age of 16, about one in 20 children will live through the death of a family member or significant person in their life,”
said Dr. Amanda Sherman, Mental Health Lead at the DSBN. “Because of COVID-19, students have had to miss
important rituals, routines, and rites of passage around death, like funerals and gatherings, or they’ve lacked social
support due to physical distancing.”
“Complex challenges like these have made the experience of grief even more difficult, and some students require
specialized supports to learn how to cope.”
We believe mental health and well-being is an essential part of student success, and to reflect this, the DSBN partners
with various community agencies to empower students to address their mental health needs. For example, the DSBN
currently helps students experiencing grief and loss by connecting them to a DSBN social worker, ensuring they have a
supportive classroom and school environment, and advising families about the community resources available to them.
Now even more assistance will be offered to students, thanks to The RRPC Innovation Foundation.
“When we are thrust into dealing with grief without the proper supports in place, we can have a lack of healing in our
Suzanne Court, Founder & President of The RRPC Innovation Foundation.
physical, emotional, and mental states which can over time, lead to a recurring cycle of grief. Providing this contribution
to enable more students to access the DSBN mental health services to heal was just the right thing to do. As a
Community, we should be supportive of programs that assist in improving our youth mindsets. Our youth are our future
and deserve to have access to supports in our Community to ensure they have opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles.”
This donation will make a sincere difference for DSBN students and their families who have had to face such tragedy.
