WNY Compassion Connection

08/31/2026

ISO: Buffalove 🦬❤️
To ensure no one grieves alone

We’ve got some inspirational news coming tomorrow! 💙🫶🏻

🎙️ Stay tuned!

08/31/2026

What was their name? 🫶🏻❤️‍🩹

08/30/2026

Today and everyday. 💙🦋

Today is National Grief Awareness Day.

But for those of us who grieve, awareness has never been the problem.

We are aware when we wake up and remember.
When something funny happens and we still think to tell them.
When a song comes on.
When a birthday arrives.
When everyone else seems to have moved on to the next thing.

What we need is for the world around us to understand that grief doesn’t have an expiration date.

That saying their name doesn’t remind us they died. We already know.

That laughter doesn’t mean we’re “over it.”

That years can pass and love can still ache.

So maybe today isn’t about making grieving people more aware of grief.

Maybe it’s about helping everyone else understand how to live beside someone who carries it.

💜

08/30/2026

Today is National Grief Awareness Day. ❤️‍🩹

➡️ Grief is something we all experience, but no one should have to navigate it alone.

🦋 Today, we honor every person carrying a loss.

Whether recent or years ago, there is no “right” way to grieve, and there is no timeline for healing.

As a non-clinical, peer support grief center, WNY Compassion Connection is creating a community of support for individuals and families navigating grief. 🫂

📅 Check out our program schedule below and find a group that feels right for you.

You are not alone. Your grief matters. Your story matters. And connection can make a difference. 💙

Have questions?

📩 [email protected]
📱 716-288-7780

08/29/2026

Remembering Cooper McGrath today…a Little Lantern whose light helped spark the current of WNY Compassion Connection. 🧡✨♾️

08/28/2026

Today, as we honor Julian McCann on his birthday, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make our “Stock the Shelves” campaign for Julian’s Lending Library such a success. 💙

📚 Together, we collected more than 70 books for readers of all ages!

🦋 Julian passed away on July 31, 2011, at just 15 years old after a courageous battle with leukemia. His love of reading continues to live on through Julian’s Lending Library at WNY Compassion Connection.

💙 Thank you for helping us honor Julian’s memory and carry forward his legacy of compassion, one book at a time. 🦋📚

08/27/2026

💙 Join us for a night of gentle movement, reflection, and self-compassion at our 2nd Grief Yoga & Journaling night, hosted by Tricia Hanlon Applegate! 🧘‍♀️

Grief Yoga & Journaling is a space to slow down, connect with yourself, and process grief in a supportive environment. We’ll begin with gentle yoga from 6–7 PM, followed by guided journaling from 7–8 PM.

📅 Thursday, September 17th
🧘 Yoga: 6–7 PM
📖 Journaling: 7–8 PM

Please bring your own yoga mat and journal.

➡️ RSVP here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050948AEAC2CA2FC1-65249654-september

Questions? Reach out to Kayla at [email protected].

You don’t have to move through grief alone. 💙

08/26/2026

🚨 TOMORROW NIGHT! 🚨

Parents, this is an important conversation you won’t want to miss.

Join us Thursday, August 27th from 6–7:30 PM at WNY Compassion Connection for “The Dark Side of Social Media”, an educational session covering the risks, dangers, and hidden aspects of today’s most popular social media apps and how they can impact our kids.

📍 3966 Walden Ave., Lancaster, NY
🎤 Presented by Ashley Gedra of Kids Escaping Drugs

If you’ve been meaning to learn more about what your kids may be encountering online, this is your reminder! Share this post and bring another parent with you. 💙

Back to School Parent Education Session: The Dark Side of Social Media.📱

📚 As kids head back to school, join us for an important conversation about the impact of social media on today’s youth.

➡️ Ashley Gedra from Kids Escaping Drugs will take an in-depth look at current social media trends, the dangers and hidden features parents should know about, and how these platforms can impact developing minds and potentially contribute to substance use and abuse.

📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 WNY Compassion Connection
3966 Walden Ave., Lancaster, NY

Topics will include popular social media apps, ghost apps, hidden apps and vaults, live streaming, the dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketing, and more.

💙 Parents and caregivers are encouraged to join us for this important educational session!

08/21/2026

When we opened our doors, we made a promise to Western New York: we will do all we can to ensure no one has to grieve alone. Sixteen months later and a beautiful community of peer support in grief has taken hold and is building and growing every day. 💙

Thanks to the Buffalo Bisons and the The Backyard Classic, yesterday was a home run of baseball, fresh air, and stadium lights with the comfort of connection and being surrounded by people who “get it.” ⚾️✨

Special thanks to Dylan Gawlak who threw out the first pitch! 🧡🫶🏻 Dylan and his parents Hannah and Craig represented WNYCC in memory of his baby brother Eli who battled pediatric cancer. The Gawlaks have been served through both facets of our organization’s mission at PUNT Pediatric Cancer Collaborative and WNY Compassion Connection and we are honored to have them as part of our family of love and support. 💞

08/21/2026

Next Wednesday! Hit the turf with our team at WNY Compassion Connection! 💙🏈