Grief counseling for crime victims to be offered in west Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Hosparus Health and the YMCA are partnering to provide grief counseling services to help violent crime victims in west Louisville recover emotionally.

The YMCA at 17th and Broadway is hopeful this will add another layer of service to help the community.

“I do have a deep sympathy for the parents of the children who are being so brutally murdered,” Louisville mom Mona Thomas said.

Thomas raised her four kids, the youngest of whom is now 27 years old, in Louisville. She said she is shocked by how much it has changed.

“Thank God I didn’t have to endure any of this (violence) when I was raising my children,” she said.

Thomas said she is pleased to see grief counseling services added in west Louisville because the area is in need.

“We are just creating a safe place for people to be able to breathe, to acknowledge what has happened and to give some coping skills,” Senior Vice President of Development for Hosparus Tawanda Owsley said.

Owsley added the unique partnership is all about addressing the crisis happening in west Louisville. As of this week, here have been more than 150 homicides in the metro area.

As individuals and as a community, Owsley said she hopes that families of crime victims will speak up about their struggles.

“At this point in time, healing is a big part of that,” YMCA of Greater Louisville President and CEO Steve Tarver said. “The idea of just to be healed, and then from healing, I hope that we go to learning and from that I hope we go to action.”

A grief counseling class will be offered at the Chestnut Street YMCA on Oct. 5 at 5:30 p.m. and at the West Broadway YMCA on Oct. 6 starting at 6 p.m.

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