Compassionate Care Plus offers free grief support, memorial workshops nearby

Owsley County families coping with loss can turn to Compassionate Care Plus for free grief support now, including a weekly Friday gathering from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. The program is open to the community at large, not just hospice families, and the no-cost service removes a financial barrier that can keep rural residents from getting help.

Compassionate Care Plus said its grief and loss services are supported by donors and offered without charge through staff-led support groups, one-on-one support, educational resources and remembrance opportunities. The organization, based at 350 Isaacs Lane in Richmond, serves Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley and Rockcastle counties, making the program one of the closer bereavement resources available to many Owsley County residents who may otherwise have few counseling options nearby.

The next step for families looking for a more hands-on way to remember a loved one comes with two Shadowbox Memorial Workshops scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, at 10 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. at the Compassionate Care Center. Denise McKinney, the grief and loss support coordinator, said the sessions are meant to give people a meaningful place to reflect while connecting with others who understand grief firsthand. Participants will create a personal keepsake box using photographs, mementos and other items tied to a loved one’s memory, and light refreshments will be provided. Space is limited, so pre-registration is requested.

The service comes as Compassionate Care Plus is emphasizing a broader mission under its new name, while hospice care remains central. The organization says its bereavement support begins when a patient is admitted and continues for at least 13 months after death, reflecting the long stretch of grief many families face. In Owsley County, where the population is roughly 3,900 to 3,971 residents and the median age is 47.7, that kind of continuing support can matter in a community where loss is often carried quietly and where health challenges are already significant.