A message from Dee Gillen, Founder of The Black Poster Project

Thank you for taking the time to explore The Black Poster Project.  I think you will find this to be a unique and very heartfelt way in which we use our beloveds to help others. 

Some may wonder how after losing a child or loved one we have the strength to do this.  My personal feeling? It isn’t necessarily strength, but rather a method for us to channel our grief into something positive.

Let’s face it … this is not something any of us planned to do. We did not know this would be part of our journey. We were busy raising our kids, bringing them to softball, football, baseball and soccer games, art classes, having their friends over, attending school plays and concerts, going out for ice cream, or just hanging around the house together. 

BURYING ONE OF OUR BABIES WAS NEVER IN OUR PLAN . . . UNTIL IT WAS.

The purpose of this project is not to make you sad.  It is to help you understand what addiction is, how it happened to our family, how it can happen to you or your family, what to look for and where to get help. At each event, we come with arms wide open to answer anything you may want to ask.  We are grieving parents, family members, friends, people in recovery and we are here to talk or listen.

Yes, it is a very emotional experience.

But … if you have the opportunity to attend a Silent Memorial, I promise you will leave with more than you came with.