Imagine welcomes new volunteers and offers upcoming training

Photo Courtesy of Valerie Stierhoff
Pictured are the summer 2022 Imagine volunteer trainees. Top row, from left, are Debbie Berez, of Mountainside; Stacey Glickstein, of Scotch Plains; Vernita Bostick, of Belleville, Carrie Greenberg, of Springfield; Sonia Nunez, Imagine’s Newark program manager; Joan Castellano, of West Orange; Abigail Priece, Imagine’s interim program manager; and John Hutchinson, of Glen Ridge. Middle row, from left, are Deborah Ojeda, Imagine’s graduate intern; Dan Vorhaus, of Summit; and Ashley S. Allen, Imagine’s Newark education and training manager. Bottom row, from left, are Diane H. Tracey, of Jersey City; Gen Belfiglio, of Union; Anna Fishman, of Short Hills; Gregory D. Edgell, of Nutley; and Zakeeyah Harris, of Newark.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — The staff at Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss offered its first in-person volunteer training since 2020 at the organization’s Mountainside center this summer. The 2022 summer training class members have joined the Imagine community of volunteers, facilitating grief support groups for children, teens, young adults and their parents/guardians. The new volunteers participated in a three-day training program.

Imagine’s grief support groups will be returning to the city of Newark through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Newark. Imagine will be offering another facilitator training course for those interested in volunteering to facilitate one of the Newark groups; the training will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Imagine’s locations in Mountainside and Newark. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 24; visit imaginenj.org/become-grief-support-facilitator. For more information, contact Imagine at 908-264-3100.