Restoring Hope: Two FGR Students Educate About Grief
A love of others and a desire to help those who share the painful experience of losing a close loved one propelled FGR students Kate Kendzicky ’26 and MacKenzie Weeks ’26 to prepare a presentation about grief and how to help someone who is suffering in this way. The students, who each lost her father in 2021 when they were in eighth grade, also helped found the Restoring Hope Grief Club at FGR.
Not only does the club aim to help those who have experienced profound loss, but an equally important goal is to help classmates and teachers understand better the process of grieving and how to support those who are experiencing it. The club was formed during the 2025-2026 school year, and in February of 2026, Kate and MacKenzie presented a cohesive, informative, and well-researched talk to the student body that aimed to help others understand grief and how best to support those who are experiencing it.
“Grief,” says Kate, “is something we will all experience in our lives.” Both MacKenzie and Kate noted that Christ and community have helped them on their journey through grief.
Personal Experience
Kate is the youngest of eight children in the Kendzicky family, all of whom have attended FGR. Her father, David Kendzicky, passed away suddenly in December of 2021. MacKenzie’s father, James Weeks, lost his two-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer in August of 2021, leaving MacKenzie and her three older sisters (including Meredith ’21). At that time, both girls remember feeling lost and alone, despite their loving families, because it was hard for their peers to understand the grief they were experiencing.
During their presentation, the girls informed their schoolmates that approximately one in twelve children in the United States will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18; that’s approximately 6.3 million children “at risk for increased intense sadness often leading to depression, anger, anxiety, and struggles in school.” The girls also shared that 54% of these kids do not get the help or resources that they need.
Grief Explained
Kate and MacKenzie presented the ten forms of grief and explained the circumstances in which those forms can be experienced before discussing the five stages of grief. They explained that grief has both the physical and emotional effects. The extreme fatigue often experienced is due to the fact that the brain is rewiring itself around the loss, and they covered the other common occurrences felt by those experiencing grief.
Speaking from personal experience, the girls gave examples of how to help those who are grieving. “Tenderness and warmth are the medicine; sit with someone in their grief,” and “The antidote to grief is love; always love,” they quoted. They talked about the need to have compassion for the grieving person and encouraged their peers not to judge the behavior of a grieving person harshly.
MacKenzie shared how best to support someone in the weeks leading up to a loss in the case of a sick loved one. She noted how hard this is, especially for a young person, emphasizing the importance of support from friends when “it feels like your whole world is falling apart.” “Be sad with them, meet them where they are, and work to take their focus off of the situation by doing things together,” she said.
Restoring Hope
Ending on a positive note, MacKenzie and Kate wanted to encourage those listening in the ways to move forward, adjust to your “new normal,” and have a beautiful and joyful future while still remembering and holding dear your lost loved one. They shared that their losses have changed their views on life and reminded them that “this earth is not our real home and that life is a gift and not a guarantee.” They also reminded the audience to place a higher value on their relationships and encouraged them to spend time with loved ones.
Ending with the quote, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “Plans for hope and for a future.”’ – Jeremiah 29:11, Kate and MacKenzie encouraged anyone interested in learning more to join them at a club meeting or reach out with questions.