Greer and Simonie sit down with Jordan Arogeti, co-founder and CEO of SupportNow and host of the podcast Moms Like Me, to explore what it really means to show up for people in crisis.

Jordan shares how a simple idea — born from countless “cash and casserole” moments during COVID — evolved into a platform that helps people offer meaningful, practical support during life’s hardest seasons. From organizing meal trains and errands to understanding her groundbreaking concept of Support Languages, Jordan reveals how each of us can learn to give support in ways that truly help instead of overwhelm.

Together, they talk about:

• The psychology of decision fatigue in grief and why “How can I help?” isn’t always helpful

• Why small, consistent acts of kindness matter more than grand gestures

• How to earn a grieving friend’s trust and avoid the “vanishing friend” trap
• The importance of building a “village” before crisis strikes

Greer and Jordan also reflect on their personal connection — how Greer’s own sudden loss helped shape the early vision for SupportNow — and the evolving language of compassion that can transform communities of care.

✨ Take the Support Languages quiz at supportlanguages.com and learn your personal support style.

🎧 And check out Jordan’s podcast, Moms Like Me, where she continues the conversation on motherhood, resilience, and the messy middle of life.

Resources Mentioned:

• SupportNow.org
• supportlanguages.com
• Moms Like Me Podcast

Follow SupportNow:

• SupportNow.org
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• Facebook

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• Website
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Support Our Work on Patreon:

🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit

How do you keep living after the unthinkable? In this episode of Grief & Grit, we sit down with Rachael Strauss, who shares the heartbreaking yet profoundly human story of losing her younger brother, Herschel Siegel, to suicide at just 24 years old.

Rachael paints a vivid picture of Herschel’s vibrant, magnetic personality — and the painful reality of his mental health struggles, which deepened during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. She reflects on the shock and devastation of his death, and the conscious choice she made to seek out what she calls “cushions” — small mercies and silver linings hidden inside overwhelming grief.

With raw honesty, Rachael talks about:

• Breaking the silence around suicide and challenging the stigma by being open about her family’s loss

• The unexpected ways her community showed up and supported her family

• Her personal coping strategies, from reframing anniversaries to celebrating Herschel’s life on his birthday

• Accepting that life after loss requires building “a new road”

Now living in Toronto, Canada, Rachael, a dental hygienist and one of six siblings, has turned her personal tragedy into advocacy. By sharing her story, she encourages open conversations about mental health and suicide, offering comfort and connection to others walking a similar road.

This episode is an invitation to witness one sister’s grief journey, her resilience, and her commitment to keeping her brother’s memory alive with love, honesty, and courage.

💛 If you or someone you love is in crisis, please dial 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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• Facebook

• Website

Support Our Work on Patreon:

🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit

💛 Reminder: If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.).

In this episode of Grief & Grit, we sit down with Lynn Handmacher Chanin, who lost her 16-year-old son Benjamin to suicide 15 years ago. With candor, strength, and grace, Lynn shares how she navigated the initial shock, the unbearable grief, and the long road toward healing.

Through Ben’s story, Lynn challenges us to change the way we talk about suicide. She discusses the importance of language — why we should say “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide” — and emphasizes that mental illness is just that: illness. Not weakness. Not shameful. And not a crime.

We talk about how grief and joy can live side by side, how peer support saved her life, and how she found love again with someone who deeply understood her pain. Lynn is now a powerful voice in suicide prevention and mental health advocacy, working with Survivors of Suicide, AFSP, and launching culturally relevant programs like Through a Jewish Lens.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone touched by suicide or walking alongside someone who is.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Remembering Benjamin for who he was — not just how he died

• The language of suicide: why it matters

• The power of peer support and finding your people

• Surviving the aftermath of suicide loss

• Parenting while grieving

• Finding love again with someone who understands grief

• Creating culturally relevant resources for survivors

• Why silence can be dangerous — and how conversation saves lives

Resources Mentioned:

• The Link Counseling Center – National Resource Center for Suicide Aftercare
• Survivors of Suicide (SOS)
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold Kushner

💛 If you or someone you love is in crisis, please dial 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Follow Grief & Grit:

• Instagram

• TikTok

• Facebook

• Website

Support Our Work on Patreon:

🎁 Get access to behind-the-scenes content, bonus mini episodes, printable grief tools, and more.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/c/griefandgrit

💛 Reminder: If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.).