Becky McDermott

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT BECKY MCDERMOTT

Becky McDermott is Executive Director at Joel’s Place for Children. Joel’s Place for Children is a Cleveland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers free-of-charge bereavement support groups for children and their families who have experienced the death of someone special in their lives. Joel’s Place was founded in 2003 and operates on the belief that it is helpful and healing for grieving children, teens and their families to share their stories, memories, experiences, thoughts, and feelings with other grieving children, teens and families. Groups meet every other Tuesday during the school year at Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village, with breaks for the Holidays and Summer. Joel’s Place holds an Annual Butterfly Release every July. Groups have no religious affiliation; families of all faiths can attend. Becky’s passion for bereavement support comes from the experience of the sudden death of her mother, Mary Verner, when Becky was 10 years old. After Mary’s death, Becky’s father took her and her sister to peer-based grief support groups, like what is offered at Joel’s Place. She experienced first-hand the power and effects behind our mission. She is grateful to lead Joel’s Place for Children in her responsibilities to strengthen programming and grow the reach of the organization. She has been a volunteer facilitator since 2017 and an employee since 2019; Becky became Executive Director in August 2023. To learn more about Joe\'s Place for Children or get involved, visit joelsplaceforchildren.org.