Amanda the Panda is a statewide organization that works with people to help them cope and recover from the loss of a loved one.

Based out of Des Moines, Amanda the Panda offers internships to students in the College of Human Sciences who are studying child, adult and family services.

Through the internship, students work with those who have suffered a loss in their life.

“It teaches that emotion is OK, and it is OK to express those emotions,” said Carmen Elliott program and volunteer coordinator for Amanda the Panda.

Amanda the Panda teaches that is OK to be angry, and shows healthy ways to express anger, said Elliott.

The organization’s goal is to connect people who are grieving the loss of another person.

“We get to witness bringing families together and connecting them,” Elliott said. “We are able to connect people who have the same struggles together and create a peer support system for them.”

Students gain benefits through the internship program as well.

“Students gain compassion for children and families going through the grieving process, develop professional skills and have fun,” said Lisa Enloe, practicum placement coordinator for the College of Human Sciences.

Amanda the Panda offers two-, four- and eight-week support group sessions throughout the year, two weekend grief retreats in the fall and spring, day camp in the summer and many family nights during the year, Elliott said.

Children and adults can attend these camps and seminars in hope to better understand and recover for their losses.

These programs validate people’s emotions and express that it is OK to be angry while also offering constructive coping methods to combat their anger, Elliott said.

While providing benefit to families, interns are also taught how the grieving process works.

“Students in learning to help others cope with grief learn to cope with grief in their own life as well,” Enloe said.

Amanda the Panda hopes to teach students proper ways to offer comfort and compassion.

“These people allow us into their life,” Elliott said. “It’s both comforting and rewarding that families let us walk this journey with them”

The process has given encouragement to many people suffering from grief by helping them recognize, “that death doesn’t end a relationship, it just changes it,” Elliott said.

Elliott started as an intern at Amanda the Panda during her undergrad at Iowa State and now works full time in the program.

Amanda the Panda will be working with Iowa State to create an outreach program on campus called Always Moving Forward.

Always Moving Forward creates a support group designed for college students, run by college students, to offer the same kind of community support Amanda the Panda offers, Elliott said.

“[Always Moving Forward] offers a support group for students,” said Suzanne Bartholomae, adjunct associate professor of human development and family studies. Students would work with people suffering from grief and give them a campus wide support group.

According to Always Moving Forward’s website, their mission is to connect and empower college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one to support one another and channel their energy towards positive outlets.

Students who want to get involved in Always Moving Forward at Iowa State can contact Suzanne Bartholomae at [email protected].