On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Grizzlies Together in Grief (G2G), a student organization founded in 2025 to support students experiencing loss, hosted its first campus event of the semester, “Let’s Taco ’Bout Grief,” in the Lake Erie Room of the Oakland Center.
The event invited students to gather in a relaxed setting to learn about G2G and engage in open conversation about grief and loss.
Free food was provided as students stopped by to talk with organizers, meet peers and learn about the organization’s mission.
Grizzlies Together in Grief is a peer-led grief support group that aims to reduce the stigma surrounding grief on college campuses by providing a space for students to connect with others experiencing loss.
“It is a grief peer support group, and the goal is to destigmatize grief and bereavement on college campuses,” Red Douglas, president and co-founder of G2G, said. “Today’s event is about creating a space for people to come in and look around the room and know that they’re not the only person who might be grieving the loss of something or someone.”
Douglas explained that grief is often not openly discussed in college environments, which can lead students to feel isolated during bereavement.
“The idea of grief and bereavement doesn’t really vibe with a college campus,” Douglas said. “There’s a great deal of isolation of bereaved students because they don’t know that there are other people going through the same thing.”
The kickoff event was designed as an informal, conversation-based gathering inspired by the concept of grief or death cafés, non-structured spaces where people can talk openly without an agenda or a clinician present.
“It’s kind of like group therapy, but in a much more relaxed setting and without a clinician presence,” Douglas said. “The peer aspect of it is the key here.”
In addition to death-related loss, G2G also aims to support students experiencing other forms of grief, such as strained relationships, breakups or lifestyle changes.
“Grief doesn’t have to be the loss of a relative who passed away,” Douglas said. “If something is materially important to you and you lose it, that’s valid grief.”
Maggie Quinn, a G2G organizer, said the organization offers students a safe space to process difficult emotions that are often suppressed.
“Society often tells us there’s never a right time to talk about grief,” Quinn said. “G2G provides that space for students to talk about their circumstances and lighten the burden a little bit.”
Quinn said groups like G2G are important because many students grieve quietly and without support.
“A lot of people go through the grieving process silently,” Quinn said. “When grief is isolated, it can act out in different ways. Having a safe space to talk about it just makes that grieving process a lot easier.”
Organizers hope students leave events like this feeling less alone and more connected to a community that understands what they are going through.
“That they’re in good company,” Douglas said. “There are a lot of people who struggle with this, and you never give up grief. You just learn how to carry it better.”
