On the Record: Portland nonprofit aims to ensure that children don’t grieve alone

Photo / Jim Neuger Gretchen Johnson, executive director of the Center for Grieving Children, says the Portland nonprofit has 150 to 200 volunteers at any given time.

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By Renee Cordes

In March 2024, Gretchen Johnson succeeded Anne Heros as executive director of the Center for Grieving Children, a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 1987. She hosted Mainebiz one quiet morning — most of the programs take place later in the day, so all of the oversized stuffed animals were perfectly still — to talk about the organization’s mission and fundraising plans.

Mainebiz: What is the center’s mission?

Gretchen Johnson: Our mission is to ensure that children don’t grieve alone. Our goal is to provide age-appropriate peer support for kids and their families and their support network on their journey through grief.

MB: What kind of programming do you offer?

GJ: We offer groups for children ages three to young adult, and their adult caregivers. Our groups address the grief resulting from the death of an important person in their lives, the grief resulting from a life-altering illness, and the collective grief experienced by children who have moved to this country seeking safety while leaving family, community and culture behind. We provide outreach, education and resources in the aftermath of traumatic community events, educational programs and professional trainings for organizations and institutions that serve children. In addition, we have a pilot program aimed at teaching the peer support model to high-burnout professions.

MB: How much do you rely on volunteers?

GJ: We have around 150 to 200 volunteers at any given time, depending on our need. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our work. They are the ones leading the group through the night. They are the ones who are holding the space and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to speak, to listen, to be heard and to be felt understood. Their role is critically important, so we provide them with the training they need to do that work.

MB: What kind of training?

GJ: They get 30 hours of training to start, as well as ongoing educational opportunities. We provide them with a tremendous amount of emotional support so that they aren’t carrying that trauma with them into their own lives. We also ask volunteers for a one-year commitment, and it’s a testament to our model that the majority have been with us for many more years than that.

MB: What prompted your path to this job?

GJ: Early in my career I was a forensic interviewer for the district attorney’s office in two Massachusetts counties for child abuse investigations. I loved that work, but then the time came for change because I didn’t want to burn out. When I moved to Maine, I started a whole new career path working in law firm marketing. While learning about management, strategic planning and budgeting, I was building a wonderful network of connections in the Portland community.

MB: And you joined the center as a board member?

GJ: Yes, and I joined other boards as well, which gave me a good feel for the side of nonprofit work that I hadn’t had in the corporate world. I got involved in fundraising, event planning and the overall development side of nonprofits, which was interesting and useful for my current role.

MB: How do you ‘switch off’ outside of work?

GJ: It’s a question I’ve been grappling with because when you start a new job, that demands extra effort in the beginning to get the momentum going, to immerse yourself in the role and get familiar with everything needed. My challenge for Year Two will be to create a consistent, sustainable pace for myself and the whole team.

MB: What’s your fundraising strategy?

GJ: The fundraising environment is always changing, so our strategy is to find balance in our revenue streams so that we are resistant to volatility. At the same time, we’re focused on cultivating meaningful, bi-directional relationships with our individual, corporate and foundation supporters. It takes extra time and effort, but it’s worth it to create relationships that are mutually gratifying. Our biggest fundraiser of the year, our LOVE Gala, is Friday, Feb. 7, at Thompson’s Point — I am hoping it will be our biggest and best yet.