At the McClean Fletcher Center, we see a lot of incredible people with inspiring stories come through our doors. Meet Pamela Bowman, who found solace and support for her own family at the Center, only to emerge as a beacon of hope, now volunteering her time and empathy to help others navigate their grief with grace and resilience.
Pamela’s journey began in 2020 after the sudden death of her husband left her and children reeling from grief. Grappling with their situation, one of her children began suffering from panic attacks. She was referred to the Center by one of her late husband’s lawn clients who has worked with the Center.
Within two weeks after their loss, they were able to begin receiving services. Her children participated in the Center’s peer support group and Pamela was able to participate with the other parents and caregivers. Furthermore, their attendance was in the midst of the pandemic, which gave them a place to have safe social interaction and make connections when it mattered most.
“In these moments of grief, the participants and the Center became our biggest support,” Pamela said.
After two years, her children felt they were in a better place with their grief and ready to move forward on their own. Pamela approached Executive Director Jennifer Goodwin for opportunities to give back to the Center by providing support. It was then Pamela began volunteering as a parent facilitator, working with the caregiver support group.
Pamela describes the Center as an outlet where you are encouraged to open up about your grief and the challenges you are facing and wanted to bring that type of support she received to others. She hopes that when adults attend the group sessions, they are reminded that their loved one still matters and still influences their every day decisions and that they can draw positive strength to move forward in challenging times.
Her volunteer role brought Pamela a renewed sense of purpose to help others. She has had the opportunity to interact with caregivers whose situations are much like hers, as well as connect with those in different situations. Pamela cherishes the moments where she sees a caregiver open up and begin actively participating in the group sessions. She believes the support they provide each other cannot be overlooked because grief affects everyone touched by the loss on different levels.
Pamela draws from her own experiences with grief to help other caregivers in the group. She dealt with grief on various levels, with the suddenness of her loss leaving a lot of things unanswered. She feels that everyone experiencing loss needs support at some point during their journey, as a loss is ever present.
Though her role is working with adults, her interaction and support with the caregivers affect the entire family in the healing process. The group’s purpose is to bring possible solutions to the unique and individualized problems complicated by the grief process.
“My encouragement to the group and the group’s encouragement to each other provides resources, reassurance and resiliency.”
