Rachel W. · From the Ele’s Place Story Archive

Rachel’s mom, Janet, died suddenly in 2005, one month before Rachel’s twentieth birthday. Rachel felt heartbroken and unsure of what to do next.

In a young-adult group at Ele’s Place, she met others navigating both grief and changes in their lives. They talked, laughed, cried, and built friendships. Years later, those relationships remained important to her.

“We laughed, cried, shared our lives and stories with each other and built friendships that we still have maintained 20 years later.”

After about a year and a half as a participant, Rachel began volunteering. She supported different groups for more than eight years, describing Ele’s Place as a highlight of her week.

In 2015, she ended that volunteer chapter when she learned she was expecting her first child. Looking back, Rachel reflected on the significance of arriving after her mom’s death and finishing her volunteer service as she prepared to become a mom herself.

Her story shows how a connection formed through grief can become part of many chapters of a person’s life.

Adapted for this website review from the family or participant account supplied by Ele’s Place. Quotations retain the speaker’s words. This is a historical account; ages and roles describe the time of the original story.