Friends of California Grief Center,

We owe much to the women who have shaped the heart of our nation’s care and resilience—women whose courage, compassion, and commitment have redefined what it means to protect, to nourish, and to heal. Through their leadership in hunger relief, innovation, and justice, they have not only served their communities but transformed lives.

To Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, whose unwavering leadership at Feeding America has brought dignity and nourishment to millions. At a time when food banks are struggling and families are going hungry, she has led the largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S. with empathy, urgency, and fierce determination. Her voice has been a moral compass, reminding us that ending hunger is not just a charitable act—it’s a moral imperative.

And to Kimberly Smith, CEO of Copia, whose data-driven approach is redefining how we tackle food waste and hunger. By building a powerful “donation engine” that connects businesses with surplus food to local nonprofits, she is creating a smarter, more sustainable system—one where no good food goes to waste, and no one is left behind. Her work stands at the intersection of technology, compassion, and equity.

May their work remind us that justice often looks like a warm meal, a full fridge, or a second chance. It is through their courage to innovate, to organize, and to feed both body and soul that so many have found resilience, relief, and the strength to carry on.

Embers of Grace: A Morning of Mindfulness and Renewal with Trudy Goodman

Honoring Five Years of the HOPE Group: Healing Ourselves Through the Present Experience
Saturday, March 29th | 10:00 – 11:30 AM (PST) (Zoom)

On this meaningful morning, we gather to mark five years of the Mindfulness & Deep Suffering HOPE Group—a sanctuary for truth-telling, stillness, and healing in motion. What began as a response to pain has grown into a wellspring of presence, resilience, and community.

We are deeply honored to welcome back Trudy Goodman—acclaimed mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, and founding teacher of InsightLA—for her annual dharma offering. Trudy’s wisdom is like rain after fire: gentle, cleansing, and life-giving. With decades of experience, she brings a unique voice to these times—one that holds both the raw ache of being human and the boundless beauty of awakening.

We’ll begin with a grounding meditation to settle our minds and bodies. Then, Trudy will guide us in a heartfelt talk on how to remain present amid life’s tremors and thresholds—what it means to root ourselves in awareness when the ground feels like it's shifting beneath us.

Following the talk, we’ll open the space for shared reflection, deep listening, and honest conversation—an invitation to name what strengthens us, what softens us, and what keeps the inner flame alive.

🔗Register Here

A Call to Action for Our InsightLA Community: Help Beth Sternlieb’s Family

Our InsightLA community has been shaken by the harsh realities of our current American moment. One of our most cherished teachers, Beth Sternlieb, is facing a heartbreaking crisis. Her in-laws, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez—who have lived peacefully in the United States for over 30 years, raising children and now a grandchild—have been detained by ICE and are being held in separate facilities in Louisiana. Despite following every legal step along the way, they now face deportation to Colombia.

Gladys and Nelson are described by their daughters as loving, devoted, and hardworking—Gladys a dedicated homemaker, Nelson a skilled phlebotomist. They have never missed an immigration check-in. They have lived with integrity, raised a family, and contributed quietly to the fabric of their community. And now, they find themselves torn apart, behind bars, with no way to appeal.

This is the moment for us to come together—not just in sorrow, but in solidarity. A GoFundMe has been created to support them should they be forced to rebuild their lives in a country they have not called home in decades.

To our community of teachers, students, and practitioners: let us stand beside Beth and her family. Let us act with the same compassion we so often practice on the cushion. Any gift—large or small—is a thread in the net of care that can hold this family together through the unthinkable. Let’s show them they are not alone.

🔗 Full story: Fox LA
💙 Donate: GoFundMe

Let’s come together and show that this family is not alone.

Women of the Fire: A Catharsis Theater Gathering for Grief and Grace (Free)

Honoring Women's History Month and Holding Space for Those Affected by the 2025 LA Fires
Sunday, March 30th | 1:00 – 4:30 PM (PST) (West Los Angeles)

Join us for an afternoon of Catharsis Theater, where grief can move, breathe, and be witnessed.

Led by grief therapist Brian Stefan, LCSW, this gathering is for women who have experienced loss in any form—homes, possessions, animals, loved ones.

It is also for those who want to stand beside them, to bear witness, to offer presence.
Because grief is not meant to be carried alone.

What to Expect:

🔥 A Safe, Held Space – A room where sorrow is not hurried along or fixed but simply allowed.
🗣️ The Power of Storytelling – Through psychodrama techniques and shared ritual, we will speak the unspeakable.
🧍‍♀️ A Community of Women – Some grieving, some holding space, all standing together.
🎭 Healing Through Expression – No prior experience required—just a willingness to show up.

🔗Register Here

Upcoming Opportunities for Connection

Queer Grief, Fierce Love: A Catharsis Theater Experience

A gathering for LGBTQIA+ adults to move, breathe, and be witnessed in full complexity. Led by facilitator Madison Bradfield-Davis and grief therapist Brian Stefan, LCSW, this experience centers queer grief in all its forms—death, identity, politics, climate, rupture, and re-creation.

Event Details

📅 Date:  Sunday, April 13, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM (3.5 hours)
📍 Location: Downtown Culver City (address provided after registration)
🎭 Facilitators: Madison Bradfield-Davis (CASA of Los Angeles; CSULA FREEDOM Lab) and Brian Stefan, LCSW (California Grief Center)
💵 Cost: Alexis J. Cunningfolk's Green Bottle Sliding Scale Method

What to Expect:

🌈 A Brave, Queer-Centered Space – Where grief isn’t silenced or sanitized.
🎭 Healing Through Expression – Using psychodrama techniques and shared ritual to speak what feels unspeakable.
🤝 A Community of Witnesses – Some will share. Some will hold space. All are welcome.
🫂 No Prior Experience Needed – Just bring your body, your truth, your breath.

🔗Register Here

Monthly HOPE Group: Mindfulness and Deep Suffering

💛 Healing Ourselves through the Present Moment (HOPE)

📅 Next Virtual Session: Saturday, April 26 | 10:00 AM (PT) | 1.5 hours (Zoom)

🔗Register Here

At the California Grief Center, we offer grief therapy and group experiences designed to support you through loss. Visit www.caligrief.com to learn more about our services and upcoming events.

With care and compassion,

Brian Stefan, LCSW

Founder, California Grief Center