Judi's House offers research-based services that strengthen families and help prevent complications of unaddressed grief and trauma, so bereaved youth in our communities can move forward in adaptive and healthy ways.
The Santamaria family is among those who found connection, understanding, and healing through Judi's House.
In just a few short years, sisters Matilda and Esther experienced multiple profound losses. After their father, Ivan, died from an aggressive and rare cancer, what was meant to be an international visit to see their grandfather became a permanent move due to the pandemic. Soon after, the family faced the loss of their grandfather as well. At ages 6 and 8, the girls were grieving two beloved family members, adapting to a new culture, and navigating an uncertain future. Their mother, Susannah, was carrying her own grief while trying to support her daughters through tremendous change.
When the weight of grief became overwhelming, Susannah turned to Judi's House for support. Through therapeutic grief groups and connection with other families who understood their experience, the Santamaria family found a safe place to process loss, build relationships, honor the people they love, and learn they were not alone.
"It can mean everything to a family who has already lost so much," Susannah shared. And perhaps most powerfully: "If you can help heal a person and their family, your community is stronger."
Thanks to donors like you, families like the Santamarias receive Comprehensive Grief Care® at no cost, gaining access to the connection, support, and skills that help children and caregivers navigate grief together. Every group session, family activity, and grief support service is made possible through donor generosity.
We can't do this critical work without you.
Your gift ensures that families like the Santamarias continue to receive compassionate, effective grief care regardless of their ability to pay. As Judi's House approaches its 25th anniversary in 2027, your support helps carry this work into the future and brings us closer to our vision that no child should be alone in grief.
The mission of Judi's House is to help children and families grieving a death find connection and healing.
In fulfilling our mission, Judi’s House is committed to providing Comprehensive Grief Care® services for bereaved youth and families as well as in school- and community-based settings throughout Metro Denver. These vital services are delivered at no cost to families thanks solely to philanthropic support.
Additionally, Judi's House realizes it's mission through contributing to research and evaluation that helps identify and meet the needs of the bereaved everywhere. In 2014, Judi’s House launched JAG Institute as a center for learning, focused on expanding the evaluation, research, and training opportunities necessary to share successful bereavement programs.
Judi's House was founded on the belief that all bereaved children and families should have access to effective and compassionate care.
Former NFL quarterback Brian Griese was just 12 years old when his mother, Judi, died from breast cancer. In 2002, Brian and his wife, Brook Griese, PhD, a clinical child psychologist specializing in trauma and loss, founded Judi's House in her memory, with the vision that no child should be alone in grief.
Judi's House has served over 16,000 children and families since we opened our doors 24 years ago. By integrating practice, research, and community, Judi’s House is uniquely positioned to create social change regarding childhood bereavement and serve as a national leader in the effort to increase access to effective, individualized care for the bereaved.
Organization name
Judi's House/JAG Institute
2002
Tax id (EIN)
84-1600797
Category
Human Services
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
10125 E 25th AveDenver County, CO, US
Adams County, CO, US
Arapahoe County, CO, US
Jefferson County, CO, US
Douglas County, CO, US