Fairfield, CT -- Join Easton, CT native and award-winning author Nancy Sharp for a signing of her new book Because the Sky is Everywhere. Inspired by the author’s young twins after the death of their dad Brett Zickerman, who was born and raised in Fairfield, CT, the book is a resource for educators, professionals, and groups that support children and families who have experienced loss and trauma. Because the Sky is Everywhere helps children accept that even though someone close to them dies, the love they feel can be everlasting.
BECAUSE THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE
Book Signing and Benefit for The Cove Center for Grieving Children
August 3, Noon – 3 p.m., Fairfield University Bookstore
“Just like grieving grown-ups grieving children naturally have questions about where the person who died has gone. This compassionate story offers a reassuring, loving answer. This resource reminds us that any child old enough to love is old enough to mourn.” —Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Author, Healing A Child’s Grieving Heart, Grief Counselor, Founder, Center for Loss & Life Transition
Featured as a notable book in the National Bereavement Resource Guide.
Read Nancy’s letter about raising resilient kids after loss published in The New York Times.
The Cove Center for Grieving Children operates seven family sites throughout CT, providing peer support bereavement groups and Camp Erin CT, a free weekend-long grief support camp. In support of their important work, the Fairfield University Bookstore will donate 10 percent of proceeds from Because the Sky is Everywhere on August 3.
THE FACTS
—1 in 7 Americans lose a parent or sibling before the age of 20.
—Nearly 46 percent of children struggle with disbelief after a loved one dies.
—7 in 10 teachers currently have one student in their class(es) who have lost a parent, sibling, or close friend in the past year.
—More than 60 percent of classroom teachers report that students who have lost a parent or guardian exhibit: difficulty concentrating in class; increased withdrawal and absenteeism; poorer quality of work and grades.
—Childhood grief is “one of society’s most chronically painful yet most underestimated phenomena.
For 22 years, The Cove Center for Grieving Children has provided programs that have helped children and their families deal with the grieving process. These support initiatives were designed to create a positive change with real results. Results include; helping children understand the grieving process, how to communicate openly, how to ask for help, how to avoid the negative effects of unresolved childhood grief and, most importantly, to help them understand they are supported and served in a safe and healing environment. Today, there are 7 Cove Family sites in Meriden, New Haven, Guilford, Stonington, East Hartford, West Hartford and Easton - serving Fairfield/Newtown. The Cove also offers an outreach program that touches some 1,500 individuals in the State of Connecticut each year through community education, professional training, consultation and referral. In addition, The Cove operates Camp Erin CT, part of a network of bereavement camps across the nation, funded in part through the Moyer Foundation. The free camp provides opportunities for grieving children ages 6-17 years of age to experience a fun and challenging camp experience while processing their grief amongst peers.