Did you know that The WARM Place offers virtual groups for children and their families? We do! There are no geographical limitations to attending our program. Virtual Group Coordinator, Kelly Cox, is the face behind this vital extension of our program, and we are so excited for you to learn more about her and what she brings to The WARM Place!
Tell us about yourself, Kelly! Your hobbies, family, how you spend your weekends, etc.
I am native to Fort Worth, born and raised minus a few years in Arizona. I live in South Fort Worth with my husband, Matt and two rowdy boys, Zachary (6yo) and Zander (almost 3yo). I have been a certified child life specialist for over 10 years working primarily with families who have a loved one with a life limiting illness or are grieving the death of a loved one. When I’m not working you will find me bingeing a variety of shows including Paw Patrol and Spider Man of course, listening to an audio book or working out (usually with an iced coffee close by). We like to spend our weekends as a family attending local music events, festivals or trying out new restaurants.
When and how did you first get involved with The WARM Place?
I got involved with The WARM Place over 10 years ago as a student. In order to receive my child life certification it was required I complete volunteer hours and/or internship experiences. I started volunteering at The WARM Place back in 2010, spent a semester as an intern with Kathy Telger in 2012 and became the Virtual Coordinator in June of 2021.
So your role as Virtual Group Coordinator means that you run all of the Virtual Groups at The WARM Place. Can you tell us a little more about how that program works and who it is for?
Absolutely! We model our virtual groups after our in-person groups, we strive to ensure our virtual program mimics what is happening in person by structure of groups, the use of volunteers and through formats and activities. Our groups support children from Kinder to 12th grade, as well as offering two adult groups. These groups are held every other Tuesday evening starting at 5:00pm. Families enroll in the virtual program just as they would in person, following an in-person intake families are able to join our virtual program for as long as it feels right for them. We know virtual groups may require an extra step to keep us focused so we do a variety of things to keep it interesting. We love to show a Youtube video with stories, music breaks throughout and a fan favorite are the 30 second scavenger hunts or charades.
When a family attends a virtual group night, how is it different from attending group in person at The WARM Place?
We do strive to keep the virtual groups as similar to the in-person experience as possible but one of the biggest ways it differs is the flexibility of participants being in their own home. Also, each age group meets for only 30-45 minutes, as opposed to the hour or so when children and families are in-person. Our virtual groups often have 8 or less children attending as well, so the groups are slightly smaller than the in-person groups. Although we are on virtual, I believe we sometimes have a more intimate experience due to the group size. The biggest difference would be the flexibility it allows for the children and families participating.
If there was someone on the fence about attending The WARM Place, in-person or virtual, what would you share with them?
I would first and foremost say, no one should ever grieve alone. Regardless of where you are on your grief journey you will find a home with The WARM Place. Many times those grieving, especially children, struggle to find someone in their life that really understands the magnitude of their grief and how it ripples through all aspects of your life, that is what you find at The WARM Place – a whole house (or zoom 😊) full of people who get it, who understand your journey and meet you exactly where you are and even have a little fun while doing it.
If you or someone in your life is interested in learning more about our virtual groups program, please call us at (817) 870 2272 or reach out to Kelly directly at kelly@thewarmplace.org.
