The Lyons Township Mental Health Commission will hold grief support groups in October, November and December at the township offices, 6404 Joliet Road.
The next session will take place Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., and all are welcome.
“This is open to anyone, not just residents of Lyons Township,” said Elyse Hoffenberg, who is the Township of Lyons clerk and also serves as president of the Lyons Township Mental Health Commission.
“The more people we assist, the better, and we are happy to do it. This is a group where people can come together if they’ve suffered the loss of a loved one, are going through a divorce or break-up, anything that’s traumatic,” she said.
“We held one last month. It was the first time we’ve ever done anything like this before. I looked around and thought we could help a lot of people by holding these. We all carry a lot of baggage these days for various situations, so by people coming together and connecting, our hope is that they understand they are not alone.”
“It’s hard to talk about grief, or we don’t know what to say to someone who is having a hard time. There’s such a benefit of holding these events to benefit the community.”
Hoffenberg said all are welcome to this and the upcoming dates. “There is never enough when it comes to people coming together to connect, and we hope this brings people out to be among others, perhaps even make a friend to talk to. Every day is heavy. The more people we can help — we are happy to do it.”
For upcoming dates and events in 2026, visit the Lyons Township Mental Health Commission website at ltmhc.org or the Township of Lyons website at lyonstownshipil.gov.