About Good Grief
Good Grief builds resilience in children, strengthens families, and empowers communities to grow from loss and adversity.
WHO WE ARE
Good Grief started in 2004 with a group of concerned volunteers who believed grieving children lacked advocates. In those early days, we began by educating teachers and community groups. In 2007, Good Grief started providing direct programming to children and their families. The need and response was tremendous, requiring Good Grief to grow our programs each year. In 2012, Good Grief responded to the emerging need of families traveling long distances to Morristown by bringing Good Grief programs to Princeton. In 2017, we launched our first satellite location for urban youth through our In Community program in Jersey City, which expanded to include Newark programs in 2019. In 2017 we also launched Routes to Resilience, a social-emotional learning program that is based on over 15 years of education and programs. In 2020, Routes to Resilience became part of a larger offering, Good Grief Schools, which consists of four programs developed specifically to create a healthy and supportive environment for students, educators, and parents. While we are best known for the thousands of lives we have impacted through our direct programming, our comprehensive education and advocacy efforts throughout New Jersey and across the nation have acquired notoriety and prestigious partnerships, including Sheryl Sandberg’s Optionb.org, KIPP NJ, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters Essex, Union, and Hudson county, Arizona State University, Duke University, Scholastic, National Funeral Directors Association, Outward Bound Adventures, the National Alliance for Grieving Children, and more.
Take a Tour
Members of the community can get an introduction to our mission, programs, and facilities by attending one of our impactful open houses. If you are considering finding a way to get involved with Good Grief, whether as a volunteer, donor, or advocate in the community a tour of our center is the best way to find out more, ask questions, meet staff, and become a part of our community. Open houses are approximately 75 minutes long and offer a quick, but thorough introduction to all things Good Grief!
To sign up, visit our calendar!
Individual and group tours can also be arranged by contacting info@good-grief.org or 908-522-1999.
NOTE: This tour is not for interested peer support program participants. Please contact one of our Family Coordinators to learn more about enrolling in our programs.
Staff

Theresa A. Shubeck, M. Litt
CEO
Email: theresa@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8011

Melissa Parrish MA, LAC
Chief Operating Officer
Email: melissa@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8003

Moira Clarkin
Director of Operations
Email: moira@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8001

Joanna Green
Director of Development
Email: joanna@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8010

Evelynn Moon
Director of Education
Email: evelynn@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8013

Dr. St. Rachel Ustanny
Program Director
Email: st.rachel@good-grief.org
Phone: 908-522-1999 x8009

Jesse W. Bassett, M.Div
Head of Curriculum & Training
Email: jesse@good-grief.org

Paul Fitzhenry
Senior Advisor of Engagement and Brand
Email: paul@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.377.9515

Alyssa Paccione
Family Services Manager, Princeton
Email: alyssa@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8006

Ariana Locascio
Family Services Manager, Morristown
Email: ariana@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8012

Susan Laird
Program Manager, Princeton
Email: susan@good-grief.org
Phone: 908.522.1999 x8008

Adrienne Shaver
Program Coordinator, Morristown
Email: ashaver@good-grief.org
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is the strategic brainpower of our mission. These exceptional leaders not only have extraordinary resumes and life experience, but they also have unwavering passion for and commitment to this mission. This hardworking team of leaders moves Good Grief forward each and every day.
2022 Board of Directors
Mark Durham – Chair, Managing Partner, Strawn Arnold & Associates
Guy Langford – Vice-Chair, Partner, M&A Transaction Services, Deloitte
Andrew Dinnhaupt – Treasurer, Portfolio Manager/Research Analyst Global Financial Services, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC
Dr. Jody Stowe, Secretary
Danielle Blank Adest, CFO, Planned Parenthood
Joseph Catanzaro, Head of Ads Optimization, Walmart
Conor Dolan, Commercial Real Estate Advisor, CBRE
Jean Frydman, Esq., Corporate Compliance Director, Aquestive Therapeutics
Bill Hector, President, William Hector & Associates
Christopher Karambelas, ToneyKorf Partners, LLC
David Kushner, Author and Journalist
John McDermott, JD, Group Managing Director, Senior Strategic Regulatory Advisor at UBS
Robert Meirowitz, MD, President of Princeton Gastroenterology Associates
Ryan Pirchio, President, Terabyte Consulting
Nicole Shellenberger, Regional Account Manager, Biomatrix Specialty Pharmacy
Alain Van Loo, Founder, Assetive