Lake County Gazette

A community event focused on grief and resilience will take place at The Community House in Hinsdale on September 17, 2025. The session, titled "Understanding Grief and Building Resilience: Tools for Helping & Healing," is open to adults and high school students who are experiencing loss or supporting others.

The event will feature mental health professionals Michelle Halm of Grief Connection Space, LLC; Alisa Messana and Shabana Sheikh of The Community House; and Andrea O’Morrow of The Loft at 8 Corners. Jody LaVoie, a widow, mother, and grief advocate, will also speak about her personal experiences with loss and resilience.

"Behind the Headlines: The Real Story of Loss, Resilience, and a Mother’s Strength," said Jody LaVoie.

The program includes a resource fair before and after the main session. Attendance is free but requires an RSVP through https://GriefEvent.eventbrite.com.

Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 serves parts of DuPage and Cook counties. Schools within the district include Clarendon Hills Middle School, Elm Elementary School, Hinsdale Middle School, Madison Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Oak Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School, The Lane Elementary School, and Walker School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to the Illinois State Board of Education data from 2020, the district spent $31,308 per student for a total expenditure of $117 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district's teaching staff numbers 282 with an average salary of $94,227; ninety percent are women (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Demographically, the student population is nearly seventy percent White with smaller percentages identifying as Asian (15.4%), Hispanic (6.8%), or Black (1.1%) (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

For more information about resources available at this event or in the community regarding grief support services in Hinsdale and surrounding areas, visit OptWell.org or TheCommunityHouse.org.