August 2026 Volunteer Spotlight

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The Cove would like to spotlight another amazing volunteer, Dania Civali! She volunteers at our Guilford Family Program.

In her own words...

“I have been a volunteer at The Cove for about 5 years. I am a lifelong Connecticut resident and work for the Yale New Haven Health System. I am a dog lover and currently own a sassy shepherd mix named Dolly who makes me smile every day!

A dear friend of mine has been a volunteer with the Cove for over 20 years. She invited me to join one of the meetings to see if it was something I would like to do. She knew I missed working directly with kids and families which I did in the earlier part of my career, so she thought it might be a good fit. From the very first night I went, I realized how important this program is and I haven't looked back since!

I was feeling a little lost in my life when I started volunteering. I knew I wanted to do something to give back to my community but was nervous about how my own experiences with grief would impact my ability to be supportive to the families. I can now safely say that being a part of this program has affected me in only positive ways. I am friends with my fellow volunteers and really look forward to seeing our families on Sunday evenings!

I really love talking with the kids and their families. I like to hear about their lives in addition to hearing about the loved ones who have died.

I am truly moved when I see the transformations that occur over time. Many of the kids are anxious at the beginning and unsure of what to say. As they go through the program, they begin to open up and share what they are feeling with greater ease. I genuinely feel that because we talk about death and grief transparently and at age-appropriate levels, it helps the kids understand that what they are feeling is normal and okay. It also makes me smile when we see past Cove members come back and volunteer their time when they are old enough to be junior volunteers.

My younger brother died suddenly in a tragic accident when I was 31 years old. This devastating event left a permanent piece of my heart broken and forced me to learn how to live life in a different way. His death not only impacted me, but I also watched my parents grieve the loss of their youngest child, my sister-in-law become a widow at 27 and our friends and family reel from the shock of his death. It took a very long time for me to feel "normal" again (whatever normal is) and I feel strongly that The Cove families need to feel validated that whatever they are experiencing during the grief process is normal. There is no roadmap on how to navigate this. Grief is such a personal experience that impacts people in such different ways. My hope in sharing part of my own journey is that the families we work with can see that they will get to a peaceful place with time and support."

We are so grateful to have Dania as part of our Cove family!

Thank you, Dania, for sharing your experiences and talents with The Cove and for providing hope and healing to grieving children!