Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Eastern Region

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Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Eastern Region

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Supporting individuals and families through their grief journey. www.bfoser.ca All programs and services are offered free of charge.

Bereaved Families Ontario South Eastern Region offers peer support, grief programs, and community connections so no one has to grieve alone. Bereaved Families of Ontario was founded by four bereaved mothers in Toronto in the year 1978. Initially nurtured by the Sick Children’s Hospital of Toronto, its particular focus is to provide support for families who have lost a child to death. The agency now has affiliates in seventeen and satellites in three municipalities across the province. Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Eastern Region is an affiliate of Bereaved Families of Ontario and has been in operation since November 1985. It has become the major local source for bereavement support, resources and information in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry and remains the only self-help agency that addresses and offers support free of charge to this community. Tailored to individual community needs, Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Eastern Region has extended bereavement support beyond the loss of a child, spouse/partner, parents, siblings, survivors of suicide and recently, bereavement services for children/youth. Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Eastern Region is a registered charitable organization whose programs are facilitated by individuals who have participated in a training program assigned and monitored by the Bereaved Families of Ontario Quality Assurance Program.

10/22/2026

Reminder we have moved our Open and Share grief support group to 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Here is November schedule.

10/13/2026

Reminder our meetings have changed to first and 3rd Monday's of the month. Next meeting is Monday October 19th at 6:30 pm

At Starbright Center
343 Pitt Street Cornwall

10/12/2026

Happy Thanksgiving from Bereaved Families Ontario South Eastern Region

Today, we are grateful for the people who walk alongside us in our grief journeys. For the strength found in community, the compassion that connects us, and the hope that continues to grow, even in the midst of loss.

May this Thanksgiving bring moments of peace, love, and connection to you and your loved ones.

We recognize that Thanksgiving can bring a mixture of emotions for those who are grieving. As we gather, remember, and reflect, may we find comfort in the memories we carry, the support we share, and the love that remains.

Wishing everyone a gentle and peaceful Thanksgiving.

The Bereaved Helping The Bereaved

BFOSER.CA

10/05/2026

We acknowledge that our work takes place across Turtle Island, on the ancestral, traditional, unceded and stolen lands of many Indigenous Nations. Wherever we partner, we honor the original stewards of those lands, their enduring relationships to land, water, creatures, and community, and the knowle...

09/30/2026

We’re excited to announce that BFO-SER Grief Camp for Kids is returning in May 2027.

Our Grief Camp provides a safe and supportive space for children and youth ages 6–17 who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It is an opportunity to connect with others who understand, explore grief, build coping skills, create memories and simply be surrounded by people who care.

New for 2027: BFO-SER Camp Alumni Wait List

Previously, children who had attended our Grief Camp were only eligible to attend once. Due to lower registration numbers in 2026, we are making a change for 2027.

If your child has attended BFO-SER Grief Camp in the past, they may register to be placed on our Alumni Wait List. If spaces remain available after new campers have registered, we will contact families on the wait list.

Our 2027 Grief Camp will take place over a weekend in May. This is not an overnight camp. Children will be bussed from Cornwall, Ontario each day and return home at the end of the day.

Registration is now open.

Register online at bfoser.ca or contact our Camp Coordinator, Heidi Poulin, directly at [email protected].

If you know a child or family who may benefit from this program, please share this post. Sometimes finding others who understand can make an important difference along the grief journey.

09/30/2026

We have an important update to our Drop-In Grief Support Group schedule.

Beginning in October, our Drop-In Grief Support Group will move from Thursdays to the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.

Our last Thursday evening meeting will be:
Thursday, October 1, 2026
6:30–8:00 PM

Starbright Center
343 Pitt Street, Cornwall, ON

Our new Monday schedule begins October 19, 2026, from 6:30–8:00 PM.

Our Drop-In Grief Support Group is a welcoming space for those who are grieving the death of someone they love. You do not have to walk your grief journey alone.

No registration required.

For more information, text or call 613-936-7470 or visit bfoser.ca.

Please share this post to help us spread the word about our new meeting schedule.

09/30/2026

Today, September 30, we pause to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
At Bereaved Families Ontario – South Eastern Region, we recognize that grief can take many forms, and that for Indigenous families and communities, grief and loss connected to residential schools continue across generations.

Today is a time to honour the children who never returned home, remember those who were lost, and acknowledge the lasting impact on Survivors, families, and communities.
Truth must come before reconciliation. Remembering matters. Listening matters. Honouring the stories of those affected matters.

May today be a day of reflection, remembrance, learning, and compassion.

Every Child Matters. 🧡

09/25/2026

What a wonderful first booth experience for BFO-SER!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, shared memories, learned about our services, and supported our mission. A huge thank you to all of our volunteers, board members, family and friends who helped make Saturday such a success!

We are also actively accepting applications for Volunteer Grief Support Facilitators and Board Members. If you’re interested in becoming part of our team, visit bfoser.ca to learn more and apply.

Here are a few photos from an amazing day!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our first booth a success!

09/20/2026

Post by Kate Vrastak

Today at the Garlic Festival, while I was spending time at the Bereaved Families of Ontario booth, I witnessed something that stayed with me. ❤️

A gentleman dressed as Deadpool stopped by — a superhero in costume, yes, but what touched me most had nothing to do with the costume.

It was his humility.

He didn’t rush toward people. He didn’t assume everyone wanted an interaction, a hug, a conversation, or even a picture.

He simply showed up.

He held space.

And he trusted people — children and adults alike — to approach him when they were ready.

That may sound like such a small thing, but to me, it speaks volumes about trust, consent, boundaries and what it means to make another human being feel safe.

It reminded me of three simple things we can all practice:

✨ Acknowledge. See the person in front of you without judgment.

✨ Allow. Give them the space to feel what they feel and come forward in their own time.

✨ Ask and receive permission. Whether it is a photograph, a conversation, a hug or simply entering someone’s personal space — boundaries matter.

This is how trust begins.

And sometimes, this is how healing begins too — from the roots up. 🌱

Especially with our young people, we cannot expect them to immediately open up simply because we are adults, educators, helpers or leaders. We first have to create enough safety for them to decide that they can trust us.

Then we listen.

We hold space.

And we allow the relationship to grow.

I am continuing to learn this myself. Sometimes our greatest act of leadership is not having the perfect words or trying to fix what is in front of us. Sometimes it is being still enough to recognize the gift another person may be offering us.

Thank you, Deadpool, for stopping by today and for the kindness, patience and humility you continue to bring into our Cornwall community.

Maybe being a superhero isn’t always about wearing a costume.

Maybe sometimes it simply means helping another person feel safe enough to be themselves. ❤️

And if putting on a superhero costume helps one child smile, feel seen, or find the courage to take one little step closer — that matters.

May we all find our own way to be that kind of superhero for someone. 🫶

02/09/2026

Thank you Kinsmen Club Of Cornwall for your generous support

Address

P. O. Box 2063
Cornwall, ON
K6H6N8

Telephone

+16139367470

Website

http://www.bfoser.ca/

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