Submitted by: An Everlasting Brave Journey – Angela Becton, Jackie Jimerson, Franchesca Jones
Introducing our new name, An Everlasting Brave Journey: Grief Support is a grassroots organization formed in September 2023 and dedicated to providing extra support through your journey. Services are available for individuals and families who reside both on and off Territory. The new name reflects the initials and is in memory of Anthony E. Becton, Jr., infant son of Angela Jimerson-Becton and Anthony Becton. The support group meets in both Irving and Salamanca, NY. The organization is gearing towards more interactive presentations through Art, as a tool for healing. When you’ve had a significant loss, grieving can be overwhelming. Sometimes expressing your pain may help, and art can be one way to do that. Grief is a personal experience that’s often unique and intimate. What brings comfort to you in a time of grieving may differ from what helps someone else. Creating or connecting with art can be a healing experience for some people.
“Art therapy is a therapeutic practice that uses creative processes like drawing, painting, sculpting, collage-making, etc. to help individuals express and explore their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It combines psychological principles with artistic expression to promote mental and emotional well-being. Through the creation of art, people can communicate feelings that might be difficult to articulate verbally, allowing them to process trauma, grief, or stress in a nonverbal, intuitive way.”
