Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Grant.
Hi Sylvia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Grief & Bereavement Resource Center, Inc., was founded through many personal life experiences that entail grief and the difficulty of accepting loss while dealing with trials and tribulations of daily life that we face beyond our control. After a world lockdown of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), I felt overwhelmed by the many deaths and trying to figure out what was available for people in the community to go and talk about their loss. I did not have an answer. I thought about my nephew, Terrell Devon Grant, who passed away in 2018 from leukemia right before COVID-19. I was broken because he was a very young and vibrant person. He was working hard to play professional football. I had a difficult year in 2018 trying to understand loss, life, and being a veteran. I sought out grief support groups and took a course in grief coaching to understand my feelings of sadness and was challenged dealing with grief. While serving my country as an Army service member, during 2 deployments, I was an operation officer. I had to keep count of service members who died while in combat. It was challenging due to the age of a lot of the service members who passed and did not get a chance to live out their lives. I asked GOD, who I consider my spiritual father, my purpose. And, what am I to do to be of service and value in my community? I thought about my professional and personal accomplishments throughout the years. Through the grief coaching certification program, I focused more on dealing with my grief and realized that I could help others.
I pursued grief education and received two graduate-level certificates, Mental Health and Wellness in Grief Counseling and Thanatology, to understand the importance of adequately processing grief, coming together to support each other through the grieving process, and providing educational resources in the community. My life experience and passion were to provide a one-stop resource center where those experiencing grief can thrive and be supported emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially. With a lot of hard work, which I am used to due to my employment background and education, I was inspired to birth the Grief & Bereavement Resource Center, Inc.
The Grief and Bereavement Resource Center, Inc. is located in the city of Columbia, South Carolina, as a charitable outreach service in the community, namely, providing grief counseling services, grief counseling referral services, and charitable foundation services. We provide financial support services to first-time grievers. The Grief and Bereavement Resource Center is a leader in the community as being the first and only stand-alone resource center. We provide internet and telephone support. Losses include human, employment, relationships, marriages, health, and physical limbs. Grief support groups are available to the public. Grief Is Life Transitioning LLC is a grief organization I created for online grief education and resources. This organization collaborates with the Grief and Bereavement Resource Center, Inc. to provide educational resources: grief pamphlets, grief books, online education information, and professional grief counseling services.
https://bereavementandglit.com/services/
A quote I created to help remind me of life and how it can be emotionally overwhelming: “We define what life means to us as we live one day at a time.” Sylvia Grant, MSW, BSW, GC-C
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road to birth this organization because this was my first business and my first time trying to gather various information about grief that will be helpful for people that will benefit them. I decided to go back to school and gain information about grief and how to create an organization that will address the many facets of grief. Also, seek assistance from the South Carolina Small Business Center and get a mentor to start the process. I had to network and obtain information about the location, population, and other businesses in the community that I can work with. I stayed up many nights, two to three in the morning. I had to go to work and take care of my own mental, physical, and emotional health. There was a time when I had to sit out of school because I did not have the money to pay for class.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
I am a veteran-owned small business with a BSW from Benedict College, MSW from Clark Atlanta University, Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work, a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Grief and Bereavement Counseling, a Graduate Certificate in Thanatology. Certified by The American Academy of Grief Counseling, an affiliate of the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. Several things set me apart from other organizations. First, my organization focuses only on providing services and products for grief and bereavement. I am the only one-stop Grief and Bereavement Resource Center, Inc. in South Carolina. I am the only organization set apart from churches, funeral homes, and hospitals where people can receive grief counseling, attend grief support groups, and receive educational materials. People can be triggered by churches, funeral homes, and hospitals because of uncomfortable memories that remind them of what they have been through.
The Grief and Bereavement Resource Center, Inc. is located in the city of Columbia, South Carolina, as a charitable outreach service in the community, namely, providing grief counseling services, grief counseling referral services, charitable foundation services, and financial support services to first-time grievers. The Grief and Bereavement Resource Center is a leader in the community as being the first and only stand-alone resource center. We provide internet and telephone support. Losses include human, employment, relationships, marriages, health, and physical limbs. Grief support groups are available to the public. We will soon sell human and pet urns, live and plastic flowers from small to medium, stuffed teddy bears, scented candles, grief children’s books, grief books for adults, and keepsake boxes. Grief Is Life Transitioning LLC will collaborate with the Grief and Bereavement Resource Center, Inc. to provide educational resources, namely grief pamphlets, grief books, grief online education information, and online professional grief counseling services to the community. Grief Is Life Transitioning, LLC was created for online grief education and resources for emergency financial support, clothing, and referral services to other grief professionals or grief community resources.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
The surprising thing that most people who know me and my work and brand may not know is that my experience in grief education and employment began in the military as an operation officer during two combat tours and my ability to expand my experiences in other fields of professional work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://griefandbereavementrc.org/about-us/ and https://bereavementandglit.com/services/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefandbereavementrc?utm_source=qr&igsh=YWVrNXJrdGppcjdy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefandbereavementresource?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/grief-and-bereavement-resource-center-west-columbia
Image Credits
Sylvia Grant
