Shared Grief: A Community Space for Healing After the Fires

The grief and devastation we feel as we bear witness to the destruction in the wake of the fires impacting multiple neighborhoods across (Tongva Land) Los Angeles has pushed us to hold space for collective grief. We know the work of recovery is only beginning in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Sylmar, the Hollywood Hills and more areas.

This devastation is a signal of our increasingly volatile climate and the growing need for climate justice for all. All of Los Angeles has experienced collective grief and we know that community care is necessary in this moment and for sustainable movement moving forward.

Many healthcare workers had to continue to show up as these fires were ongoing, some lost their homes and also felt unsupported by their employers while navigating uncertainty. This grief space is an opportunity for healthcare workers to gather in community to be able to process their complex feelings of fear, anger or whatever came up in response to this collective trauma.

We know this grief space, alone, is not enough – however, we believe that we need spaces to grieve with each other as we navigate how best to show up in the world in our healthcare roles and fighting for climate justice, clean air, access to safe housing and infrastructure for our communities. The purpose of this space is to offer a chance for us to begin to process our grief in community and to find rituals that we can carry forward.

This 60 minute session will offer space for grounding and ritual through the modality of expressive arts. To maintain an intimate space, we are limiting participation to 20 participants.