New Task Force Publishes Guidance for Coping with Loss During the Pandemic

ORLANDO, Fla. - May 11, 2020 - PRLog -- With over 80,000 deaths in the U.S. from coronavirus, society is grappling with how to lay loved ones to rest amid strict pandemic guidelines. GriefSPACE, a nationwide taskforce, was launched with the mission to develop, curate and share recommendations for end of life care, funerals and grief support adapted for the pandemic era.

Tasked with developing helpful content for those who have to say goodbye to loved ones during the pandemic as well as their support circles, GriefSPACE was created by widow Joanne Fink and bereaved mother Lynda Cheldelin Fell. The duo invited experts spanning the funeral, grief support, crisis management, mental health, ministry, and academia fields to join the collaboration. The resulting resources offer advice and strategies for first responders and the general public on what to do after losing a loved one, including managing immediate tasks, self-care, how to support the bereaved, and more. A soul-boosting section includes prayers, poems, and coloring pages to provide comfort in the aftermath.

A world-renowned designer, inspirational speaker, grief educator and bestselling author, who lives in Orlando, Fink lost her 53-year-old husband in 2011, when he had a fatal heart attack two days before their son's 12th birthday.

"As a grief educator, people often ask me what to do when they, or someone they know, loses a loved one. Until recently I have been able to advise them—but the pandemic changed everything," Fink shared. "How can we support the bereaved during social distancing when we can't attend the funeral, pay a condolence call, be together to hug and share stories and remember the deceased?" Fink said. "The need for GriefSPACE's information is critical for everyone who has lost someone they love during the pandemic."

Multi award-winning author, Cheldelin Fell lost her 15-year-old daughter in a car accident in 2009. She is a national grief educator, founding partner of International Grief Institute, and bestselling author of 35 grief-related books who hails from the Seattle area.

"Even during a pandemic, we continue to live in a largely griefphobic society, leaving mourners feeling more isolated," says Cheldelin Fell. "It's important for families to know that although we're physically distant, we're still connected. The GriefSPACE resources are a beautiful collaborative effort to support people and empower them with practices adapted for social distancing and beyond."

For information about GriefSPACE, please visit www.internationalgriefinstitute.com/griefspace. To request an interview, contact Diane Carnevale Jones at diane@cjonesgroup.com.