Free Grief Support for Kids & Families — Wilbraham, MA | Rick's Place

Rick’s Place is a nonprofit grief support organization in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, providing compassionate care to grieving children, teens, and their families. Founded in 2007 to honor Rick Thorpe, a young Wilbraham father who died on September 11, 2001, the organization has grown into a trusted community resource where families supporting a grieving child can find connection and understanding at no cost.

What to Expect

Rick’s Place offers free peer support groups that meet every other week from mid-September through mid-May. Children and teens ages 5 to 18 gather with peers who have experienced the death of a loved one, while caregivers meet in a concurrent evening group. Sessions use facilitated peer activities to help young people express and process grief, and the organization also runs school-based groups and a read-aloud program in the community.

Who This Group Is For

The groups welcome grieving children and teens ages 5-18 and their caregivers who have experienced the death of a loved one or close friend. There is no cost to participate.

Why Peer Support Works

Children often grieve differently than adults, and they benefit enormously from being with peers who understand loss firsthand. Facilitated peer activities give young people safe, developmentally appropriate ways to share what words alone cannot capture. Because caregivers are supported at the same time, the whole family can move through grief together rather than in isolation.

How to Join

Participation is free. To arrange a first meeting and learn more, call Rick’s Place at (413) 279-2010 or reach out through ricksplacema.org. The center is located at 85 Post Office Park, Suite 8521, Wilbraham, MA.