- Omaha's first dedicated grief center has opened at Collective for Hope near 78th and Cass
- The building's design is intentional — no right angles, which the executive director says reflects that grief is not linear
- A full-time licensed therapist is being hired, with services expected to begin this fall
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Omaha now has its first dedicated grief center, with Collective for Hope opening a new building near 78th and Cass.
The space is designed for neighbors to come together and for people to remember loved ones. Even the building's interior design was intentional, according to Collective for Hope Executive Director Cliff McEvoy.
"You never graduate grief, right, and grief is not linear," McEvoy said.
The building features no right angles — a deliberate design choice reflecting that philosophy.
Inside one of the rooms, volunteers Tanya Shute-Kadey and Robin Gzehoviak were making teddy bears and writing notes, drawn to the difference the space will make for those who are grieving.
"I feel that when you have a space that is bright and light and airy and dedicated to that, it gives, rather than being stuffed in a corner," Shute-Kadey said.
"It makes it easier," Gzehoviak said.
"Yes. It's like everything that we say is kind of reflected in this building. It's okay to write your person's name on the wall. It's okay to say that this is really, really hard, and I'm not sure how I'm gonna do this," Shute-Kadey said.
The volunteers said grief is often avoided in conversation.
"I mean, really, that's why people don't talk about it, isn't it? Because they think, oh, if you don't talk about it, you won't be reminding yourself, and you won't make yourself sad," Shute-Kadey said.
"Right. And all that is, is actually suppressing everything. When, actually, the opposite is true. The more you talk about it, the more healing it can be," Gzehoviak said.
"Yes," Shute-Kadey said.
"Because that's all you want to do. You don't want to forget your person," Gzehoviak said.
Collective for Hope is in the process of hiring a full-time licensed therapist who will focus on grief. Those services are expected to begin in the fall.
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