About Ryan’s Place
Our Vision
We believe that no child or family should grieve the death of a loved one alone.
Mission
The mission of Ryan’s Place is to provide support in a safe environment where grieving children, teens and their families can share their experience as they move through the healing process. Ryan’s Place is dedicated to all children who grieve.
History
What is it like for children and teens when someone close to them dies? Where do they go for help? Adults are often so overwhelmed with the death, that they are unable to provide the grief support children need.
Ryan’s Place is named in honor of Ryan Gleim, who died in 1992 at the age of 20. Ryan’s parents, Rex and Nancy Gleim, were able to find a support group for themselves, but not for Ryan’s younger brother. This unmet need of a children’s grief center was also identified by therapists Don and Eunice Munn of Middlebury, Indiana, as they attempted to counsel grieving families.
In April 1999, the Munn’s and the Gleim’s began the movement for a children’s grief center in the community. Ryan’s Place was founded in 2002. Now, Ryan’s Place provides children, teens and adults with a safe, supportive environment where they can share their grief experiences. Children and adults meet in separate groups, where they gather alongside volunteers who choose to be companions on this journey.
Since opening in January 2002, Ryan’s Place has served more than 14,500 individuals and now serves over 1,000 individuals each year through the Monday Night Program, School Based Groups, and Crisis Support provided to the community.
