Hospice East Bay — Free Bereavement Support Groups — East Bay & Oakland, CA
Hospice of the East Bay’s Bereavement Services Program provides free grief and loss support to families and community members across Contra Costa and Alameda Counties — including Oakland — regardless of whether the deceased was a hospice patient. The program has run continuously since 1977 and offers grief support groups, individual counseling, classes, workshops, and the Bridge children’s bereavement program — all free to community members in the East Bay.
What to Expect
Hospice East Bay’s grief support groups meet on a regular schedule — including general bereavement groups, spousal loss groups, child loss groups, sibling loss groups, suicide loss groups, and groups for adults grieving the death of a parent. Groups are facilitated by trained bereavement counselors and follow a confidential, peer-driven format. The Bridge Program for children and teens uses art, play, talk, and peer support to help young people process the death of a family member. Hospice East Bay also offers classes on grief over the holidays, workshops on writing through loss, and individual counseling for community members whose grief needs more personalized support.
Who This Group Is For
Bereavement Services serves anyone in the East Bay grieving the death of a loved one — regardless of whether the deceased received hospice care. Adults, teens, and children are all welcome through age-appropriate programming. Members come from across Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, including Oakland. The 40+ year program has supported tens of thousands of grieving families across the region.
Why Peer Support Works
Grief reshapes life in ways most people aren’t prepared for, and finding others walking the same road is often the most important thing a grieving person can do. Hospice East Bay’s free bereavement programming creates that peer community — at no cost, regardless of where care was received before the death. The longevity of the program means many community members have intergenerational relationships with the service: parents and grandparents who found Hospice East Bay for one loss now bringing children and grandchildren for the next.
How to Join
All Hospice East Bay bereavement services are free. Visit hospiceeastbay.org/services/grief-support to find current groups, schedules, and registration information. The Bereavement Services team can also be reached by phone — current number listed on the site. Most groups welcome new members at any meeting; some specialty groups (like suicide loss) involve a brief intake conversation first.