Julien's House opens Windsor space, filling `a huge gap' in grief support
After struggling through grief and loss with no one to talk to, it's bittersweet comfort for Kaitlyn Dyer to know that no one else must endure the same.
Julien's House, a charity providing grief support, celebrated the formal ribbon cutting Friday for the Nick Dyer Clubhouse in Windsor.
The clubhouse on Baseline Road is named in honour of the 16-yearold Lasalle teenager who died following a 2017 car crash. It will house the charity's peer-to-peer grief support programs.
“It gives me a lot of comfort that no one will have to feel how I felt at the beginning of my grieving journey, that there's a place for people to have that discussion” said Kaitlyn Dyer, Nick's sister. “It means so much to me, and I know it would mean so much to him, too. He was such a forgiving person and inclusive person. So to have something that showcases how inclusive he was for his legacy, that's amazing.”
The clubhouse was created with $147,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, more than $150,000 in community donations, and materials donated from Rosati Construction.
It was the first of a three-phase plan that includes renovating the actual house and grounds at 3635 Baseline Rd. The Gaudet family donated the property in 2021 in honour of 18-year-old Julien Gaudet, who died from a brain injury.
Julien's House executive director Laura Kay said the organization still needs to raise about $500,000 for the project. A new fundraising campaign will soon be launched called Share Their Names, selling lawn signs and wristbands.
“It fills a huge gap,” said Kay. “People going through a grief journey often don't know where to turn. They're not mentally ill, so it's hard to look for programming that's suitable for that grief. With that peer-to-peer companionship and connection that we help build, we introduce people to each other so that they can help one another.”
After finding support through Julien's House, Dyer now facilitates one of the group sessions in the clubhouse with her brother's name on it.
“As I progress through grief there's different things that happen,” she said. “It's not just two weeks after the funeral. It's five years from now when life events happen and they're missing out on these big momentous moments.
“To be able to talk to people who have been through similar things gives you a lot of comfort that you're not alone in that journey.”
For more information about the charity's services, which are free, go to julienshouse.ca.