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Grief Support
The Vilomah Foundation is proud to offer free, anonymous, compassionate peer grief support for individuals and families navigating the profound grief of a loved one due to substance use or other tragic and stigmatized losses. Recognizing that grief is a deeply personal yet universally shared experience, our program is designed to provide a safe, supportive space where participants can connect with others who truly understand their journey. Guided by trained facilitators with lived experience, the peer-led approach fosters meaningful connections, emotional validation, and a sense of community for those who may feel isolated in their loss.
We offer more than just a listening ear, we provide a lifeline to healing and hope. Whether participants are seeking solace, strength, or simply a space to share their stories, we meet individuals where they are in their grief journey. Through open dialogue and mutual support, we aim to empower participants to honor their loved ones while finding their own path forward. By bringing people into a community rooted in compassion and understanding, Vilomah’s peer grief support helps to transform grief into action, connection, and healing.
To speak to a peer today, please call 1.888.696.6654
If you are more comfortable speaking via email, please email Peers@thevilomahfoundation.org
Vilomah Memorial Gardens
Why should every community have one?
A memorial garden honoring those lost to overdose offers both a space of healing and a powerful public statement. For grieving families, it provides a place of reflection, remembrance, and connection. It is a place to honor their loved ones outside the shadows of stigma. For communities, it creates a visible reminder that overdose deaths are not statistics but lives cut short, each one deeply missed. A garden embodies growth and renewal, offering a setting where pain and beauty coexist and where people can come together to mourn, heal, and recommit to change.
It also helps shift public perception by acknowledging the human toll of the crisis with dignity and compassion, reducing stigma while fostering solidarity. Ultimately, such a space can inspire dialogue, education, and collective action, turning loss into a catalyst for building more compassionate systems.
On August 31, 2022 the city of Philadelphia sponsored a pop-up Overdose Memorial Garden inspired by our founder's vision for Vilomah Memorial Gardens. Every community should have a sacred space such as this.
****We are collecting signatures for the inaugural Vilomah Memorial Garden in Washington, DC. You can sign on by clicking this link. If you want to learn more about the garden concept, please read the Original Vision.
In Memoriam
We invite any vilomahs to contribute to this Memorial Wall by submitting a short story and a photo of your loved ones.
Bereavement Resources
1. Resources for Funerals
Red Cross Family Assisstance center
Pew Trusts article on funeral aid
List of charities that help with funerals
Social Security Funeral Payments
2. Support Groups
Free bereavement resources for families who lost a loved one in Philadelphia.
Free, online support groups for parents and siblings who have lost loved ones to substance use or whose children are in active use.
Monthly zoom group comprised mostly of mothers
Contact: MaryBeth Cohocki mecichocki@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1954901681416200/
Facebook group for parents who lost a child to substance use
Grasp Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP)
These are in-person or hybrid meetings. Pre-registration is required for new attendees! Please contact the chapter facilitator to register.
A national organization with local chapters providing support to families who have lost a loved one, usually a child.
An online community of peer support and resources for those who have lost a spouse/partner.
A national organization with local chapters providing peer grief support groups.
Grief Resources for Children
The Uplift Center for Grieving Children
An organization offering grief support groups for children as well as a resource and referral hotline for grieving children and teens (1-833-745- 4673, available Monday-Friday 10am – 8pm and holidays 12pm – 4pm).
Peter’s Place (Radnor, PA)
An organization providing grief support to children and teens, located in Radnor and also available to the surrounding counties, including Philadelphia.
Safe Harbor at Jefferson Health (Abbington, PA)
A program providing peer support groups for children, teens, young adults, and parent/caregivers who have experienced the loss of a loved one.