#PeopleofNEI: Carly, dealing with grief

Northeast Indiana is evolving. These are the people shaping its future. #PeopleofNEI

This week’s feature:

Carly has been a volunteer program facilitator at Erin’s House for Grieving Children for over five years, and has worked with over 100 children. Erin’s House provides a safe, nurturing, and comfortable environment for children to process their grief. It was created in memory of Erin Farragh who died suddenly at age five. This month, Carly and her teammates from Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner presented Erin’s House with a check for over $10,000. “The nights start off with dinner with family. Then we have group time and split off into appropriate age rooms. We plan the nights out with a grief-centered game or activity. I always end up in the Quiet Room where we sit and talk about grief. We help any child that has had someone in their life die. I got involved because it’s a great way to give back. I knew I probably wouldn’t be having kids and this is a great way to have interactions with children in the community. No matter what I’m going through in my personal life, it’s a reminder that these kids are going through a terrible time. Whatever I might be going through is not that bad. There are so many people that have it worse. To be there for someone during their grief is a great help to get through my own grief. I’ve lost my grandparents, my cousin to cancer, and a high school friend to a car accident. If we don’t express our grief, it can lead to other issues in our life. Dealing with grief will keep it from turning into a problem as an adult. That’s why it’s important to me. I am here to help and listen. When I was selected for Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner, they made it clear that they wanted to give back to the community, too. Each contestant can nominate a nonprofit. I nominated Erin’s House and it ended up being selected. We raised just over $10,000 and presented a check to Debbie Meyer, the Executive Director of Erin’s House. 100% of the money will be used to support the mission of Erin’s House. I’m so proud to be a part of Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner and Erin’s House. If you get out of your own way you can do anything you want to do. If you have the opportunity on top of that to give back to the people around you, that is the cherry on top.” #PeopleofNEI

A post shared by Input Fort Wayne (@inputfortwayne) on Jul 22, 2018 at 7:02pm PDT

#PeopleofNEI: Carly, dealing with grief

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