H.U.G.S. — Free Suicide Loss Peer Support Group Charlotte, NC

H.U.G.S. — Healing and Understanding of Grief from Suicide — is a free, peer-led support group in Charlotte for people who have lost a family member or friend to suicide. The group has been meeting in the Charlotte area for years and exists for exactly one purpose: to give survivors a steady room of other survivors where the loss can be spoken about whole, without softening. Everything H.U.G.S. offers is free of charge.

What to Expect

H.U.G.S. meets twice monthly — on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Sessions are guided by trained peer facilitators who are themselves suicide loss survivors. The format includes confidential peer sharing, group support, healing-focused education, and time for whatever members need to bring. There is no curriculum, no clinical assessment, and no expectation that you speak before you are ready. New attendees register with the group leader by phone before their first meeting to confirm the current location and meeting time, but registration itself is informal — a brief introductory call rather than an intake.

Who This Group Is For

Adults 18 and older grieving the death of a family member, partner, friend, coworker, or other loved one to suicide. The loss can be recent or many years past; H.U.G.S. members include both the newly bereaved and people years into their grief, often sitting in the same room. The group is non-denominational and welcomes survivors from all faith backgrounds and none.

Why Peer Support Works

Suicide loss carries layers other griefs do not — stigma, unanswered questions, complicated feelings about the person who died, and the silence of people who do not know what to say. Being in a peer room of other survivors twice a month is often the first place people feel they can speak honestly without softening the story. H.U.G.S. members frequently describe the group as where they finally exhaled — and where, over time, the grief became something they could carry rather than something that carried them. The twice-monthly cadence gives members a reliable touchpoint without requiring weekly bandwidth.

How to Join

The group is free. Before attending your first meeting, call Alice (a group leader) at (704) 541-9011 any day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to register and confirm the current meeting time and location. More information is at hugscharlotte.com. The national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 for anyone needing immediate support between meetings.