Destigmatizing Suicide: A Mother’s Journey with Lynn Handmacher Chanin on Love, Loss, and Advocacy

How to Show Up in Grief: Lessons from SupportNow CEO Jordan Arogeti

Greer and Simonie sit down with Jordan Arogeti, co-founder and CEO of SupportNow and host of the podcast Moms Like Me, to explore what it really means to show up for people in crisis.   Jordan shares how a simple idea — born from countless “cash and casserole” moments during COVID — evolved into a platform that helps people offer meaningful, practical support during life’s hardest seasons. From organizing meal trains and errands to understanding her groundbreaking concept of Support Languages, Jordan reveals how each of us can learn to give support in ways that truly help instead of overwhelm.   Together, they talk about: * The psychology of decision fatigue in grief and why “How can I help?” isn’t always helpful * Why small, consistent acts of kindness matter more than grand gestures * How to earn a grieving friend’s trust and avoid the “vanishing friend” trap *  The importance of building a “village” before crisis strikes   Greer and Jordan also reflect on their personal connection — how Greer’s own sudden loss helped shape the early vision for SupportNow — and the evolving language of compassion that can transform communities of care.   ✨ Take the Support Languages quiz at supportlanguages.com [https://www.supportlanguages.com] and learn your personal support style. 🎧 And check out Jordan’s podcast, Moms Like Me [https://www.momslikemepodcast.com/], where she continues the conversation on motherhood, resilience, and the messy middle of life.   Resources Mentioned: * SupportNow.org [https://www.supportnow.org/] * supportlanguages.com [https://www.supportlanguages.com] * Moms Like Me Podcast [https://www.momslikemepodcast.com/]   Follow SupportNow: * SupportNow.org [https://www.supportnow.org/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/supportnow_org/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/supportnoworg]   Follow Grief & Grit: * Website [https://www.griefandgritpodcast.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefandgritpodcast] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@griefandgritpodcast] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/griefandgritpodcast] * Substack [https://substack.com/@griefandgrit]   Support Our Work on Patreon: 🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit [https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit]

Finding Cushions After Suicide: Rachael Strauss on Sibling Loss and Stigma

How do you keep living after the unthinkable? In this episode of Grief & Grit, we sit down with Rachael Strauss, who shares the heartbreaking yet profoundly human story of losing her younger brother, Herschel Siegel, to suicide at just 24 years old.   Rachael paints a vivid picture of Herschel’s vibrant, magnetic personality — and the painful reality of his mental health struggles, which deepened during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. She reflects on the shock and devastation of his death, and the conscious choice she made to seek out what she calls “cushions” — small mercies and silver linings hidden inside overwhelming grief.   With raw honesty, Rachael talks about: * Breaking the silence around suicide and challenging the stigma by being open about her family’s loss * The unexpected ways her community showed up and supported her family * Her personal coping strategies, from reframing anniversaries to celebrating Herschel’s life on his birthday * Accepting that life after loss requires building “a new road”   Now living in Toronto, Canada, Rachael, a dental hygienist and one of six siblings, has turned her personal tragedy into advocacy. By sharing her story, she encourages open conversations about mental health and suicide, offering comfort and connection to others walking a similar road.   This episode is an invitation to witness one sister’s grief journey, her resilience, and her commitment to keeping her brother’s memory alive with love, honesty, and courage.   💛 If you or someone you love is in crisis, please dial 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   Follow Grief & Grit: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefandgritpodcast] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@griefandgritpodcast] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/griefandgritpodcast] * Website [https://www.griefandgritpodcast.com] Support Our Work on Patreon: 🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit [https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit] 💛 Reminder: If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) [https://988lifeline.org/].

Destigmatizing Suicide: A Mother’s Journey with Lynn Handmacher Chanin on Love, Loss, and Advocacy

In this episode of Grief & Grit, we sit down with Lynn Handmacher Chanin, who lost her 16-year-old son Benjamin to suicide 15 years ago. With candor, strength, and grace, Lynn shares how she navigated the initial shock, the unbearable grief, and the long road toward healing.   Through Ben’s story, Lynn challenges us to change the way we talk about suicide. She discusses the importance of language — why we should say “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide” — and emphasizes that mental illness is just that: illness. Not weakness. Not shameful. And not a crime.   We talk about how grief and joy can live side by side, how peer support saved her life, and how she found love again with someone who deeply understood her pain. Lynn is now a powerful voice in suicide prevention and mental health advocacy, working with Survivors of Suicide, AFSP, and launching culturally relevant programs like Through a Jewish Lens.   This episode is a must-listen for anyone touched by suicide or walking alongside someone who is.   In this episode, we discuss: * Remembering Benjamin for who he was — not just how he died * The language of suicide: why it matters * The power of peer support and finding your people * Surviving the aftermath of suicide loss * Parenting while grieving * Finding love again with someone who understands grief * Creating culturally relevant resources for survivors * Why silence can be dangerous — and how conversation saves lives   Resources Mentioned: * The Link Counseling Center [https://www.thelink.org/] – National Resource Center for Suicide Aftercare * Survivors of Suicide (SOS) * American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [https://afsp.org/] * “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold Kushner [https://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Happen-Good-People/dp/1400034728]   💛 If you or someone you love is in crisis, please dial 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   Follow Grief & Grit: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefandgritpodcast] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@griefandgritpodcast] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/griefandgritpodcast] * Website [https://www.griefandgritpodcast.com] Support Our Work on Patreon: 🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit [https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit] 💛 Reminder: If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) [https://988lifeline.org/].

Living After Suicide: Mitch Cohen on Love, Loss, and Healing After His Wife’s Death

Simonie and Greer sit down with Mitch Cohen, widower, rabbi, grief counselor, and co-author of Men in Grief: Stories of Growth Through Struggles with Trauma and Loss, for an intimate and vulnerable conversation about losing his wife, Suzette, by suicide. Mitch reflects on Suzette’s life, the challenges she faced as the child of Holocaust survivors, and the ways mental health, menopause, and silence around suicide shaped their family’s journey. He shares candidly about the guilt and questions that follow a suicide loss, the importance of therapy and support groups, and how he found new purpose by helping others as a facilitator for suicide survivor groups. This episode shines a light on the realities of suicide, grief, and resilience — while offering hope and community for anyone who has faced similar loss. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call or text 988 in the U.S. to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Show Notes * Guest: Mitch Cohen, widower, rabbi, grief counselor, and author of Men in Grief: Stories of Growth Through Struggles with Trauma and Loss * Resources mentioned: * Mourning & Mitzvah [https://www.amazon.com/Mourning-Mitzvah-2nd-Journal-Mourners/dp/1580231136] by Anne Brener * The Body Keeps the Score [https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748] by Bessel van der Kolk * The Link Counseling Center [https://www.thelink.org/] – National Resource Center for Suicide Aftercare * American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [https://afsp.org/] * Mitch's Book: Men in Grief: Stories of Growth Through Struggles with Trauma and Loss [https://www.amazon.com/Men-Grief-Stories-Through-Struggles-ebook/dp/B0C8X338CZ] * Mitch’s work at Compassionate Presence [http://www.cpatl.com] Follow Grief & Grit: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefandgritpodcast] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@griefandgritpodcast] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/griefandgritpodcast] * Website [https://www.griefandgritpodcast.com] Support Our Work on Patreon: 🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit [https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit] 💛 Reminder: If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) [https://988lifeline.org/].

From Child Loss to Lifelong Legacy: How Ashley Jones Created the Momento Foundation

In this powerful and heart-opening episode of Grief & Grit, Greer and Simonie sit down with Ashley Jones, photographer, author, and founder of the Momento Foundation [https://www.momentofoundation.org/]. Ashley shares the deeply personal story of losing her daughter Skylar to SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) and how that loss led her to create an organization that offers terminal families the priceless gift of photography and remembrance. From grief and trauma to purpose and impact, Ashley walks us through her emotional journey—from sitting in painful silence with nothing but photographs of her daughter, to launching a nonprofit that trains photographers to compassionately serve families at end-of-life. You’ll hear about the healing power of legacy photos, how kids use portraits to stay connected to lost loved ones, and how Ashley’s upcoming book helps others navigate grief in a trauma-informed way. This is not just an episode about loss—it’s about legacy, presence, and the quiet ways love endures. Bring tissues, and maybe a warm blanket. This one’s tender. Resources Mentioned: * Momento Foundation Website [https://www.mementofoundation.org] * Momento on IG [https://www.instagram.com/momentofoundation/] * Momento on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/momentofoundation] * Ashley on IG [https://www.instagram.com/shuttersweet/] * When You Can’t See the Light (Ashley’s upcoming book) * SupportNow.org [http://www.supportnow.org] * Momento’s Photographer Application + Donation Opportunities [https://www.momentofoundation.org/get-involved] Follow Ashley: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleynicolejones/] * Personal Website (coming soon): AshleyNicoleJones.com [https://www.ashleynicolejones.com] Follow Grief & Grit: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/griefandgritpodcast] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@griefandgritpodcast] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/griefandgritpodcast] * Website [https://www.griefandgritpodcast.com] Support Our Work on Patreon: 🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit [https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit]