(upbeat music) - Caring Connections, Grief and the Holidays is an opportunity for individuals to come together and cope with a loss of a family member or friend while keeping the memory alive.

Taryn Hiatt is here with all the information about this year's event.

Hi, Taryn.

- Hi.

- Let's talk, this is a great topic.

It's grief and gratitude, and your speaker, a good friend of mine, she's so good.

- I love it.

Yeah, yeah.

So this is an annual event we do each year to bring people together who've suffered a loss, just to find again, that community, to rally around them.

And this year speaker is Holly Mullen.

We're gonna have her share her story as a recent widow.

- Yeah, she lost her husband Ted Wilson, who as we all know was mayor here for a long time.

And yeah, very moving.

So, I think it's really important what you do to help people get through the holidays when they're suffering the loss of someone they love.

- Yeah.

You know, grief is such a unique journey for each person.

And we know going into the holidays, that's a time that we're usually with all of our family, and that missing seat is really more present.

So this is just a great opportunity to, again, come experience a night with those who've shared loss.

We have her speaking, we have music being performed by Shari Call.

It'll just be a beautiful evening to, again, help us honor our loved ones and prepare ourselves as we go into the holiday season.

- Oh, so important.

And you also do, I know you do a program for people who've lost a spouse.

- Yeah, you know, Caring Connections is a grief and comfort program to help offer hope to those who've been affected.

So we do a eight week clinician led support groups.

We do loss of spouse, loss of child, loss of friend or family.

We also have an overdose specific, and then a suicide specific support group.

So anyone who is dealing with just the struggles of navigating your life with grief, please call us, reach out to us.

We'd love to help connect you to some support.

- Yeah, you're a great, great resource and thanks so much for being here.

Thank you.

- Yeah, thank you.

- And if you'd like to know more about Caring Connections, upcoming Grief and the Holidays, a specific topic, Grief and Gratitude, it's November 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 at the University of Utah College of Nursing.

Go to caringconnections@utah.edu.

Caringconnections@utah.edu.

I'm Mary Dickson, thanks for watching Contact.

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It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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