About Empty Arms Vermont
One in four pregnancies ends in a loss.
We are grateful to be able to support families during their darkest times.
Our Mission
Empty Arms Vermont serves individuals and families whose babies have died through miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant death, or termination for medical reasons. By cultivating personal connections, creating a compassionate community, and fostering professional collaborations, we provide grieving parents with valuable resources and validation as they navigate the murky days, weeks, and lifetime without their baby.
Our Vision
We strive to build a community of compassion, understanding, and comfort for those who are journeying down the road of grief. We understand that each loss is different, but there are many things that we share in common as we grieve for our babies. Our truest hope is that no one would make this journey through grief alone.
We know firsthand the value of connections built on this common ground. Our vision is to create a space where these relationships can be created and cultivated in Vermont, and where all who come are able to share openly about their baby, and learn the ways that sharing their stories can help them to move toward healing.
Our Partnership
Carol McMurrich is the executive director and founder of Empty Arms Bereavement in Western, Massachusetts. After the death of her daughter Charlotte, Carol established Empty Arms Bereavement Support which offers an extensive amount of support group meetings, hospital companionship programs, and professional training in her community. Carol and the team at Empty Arms in MA have joyfully allowed us to learn from them as we adopt many of the resources they have used over the last 15 years. Through this partnership, we are able to glean invaluable resources and mentorship in order to best serve our community in Vermont.
Learn more about Empty Arms Bereavement Support in Massachusetts.
Board of Directors
chelsea levis
co-founder, board member
Chelsea co-founded Empty Arms after moving back to Vermont noticing that adequate peer support for bereaved parents was lacking. The Levis Family lost their firstborn, Timothy, suddenly during labor in 2014. Since then, Chelsea has become deeply aware of the complexities of grief and pregnancy after loss. Through Empty Arms Vermont, she looks forward to extending community support and connecting families and individuals that can know each other through shared grief experiences. Chelsea and Jonathan spend most of their time hiking, gardening, and finding new adventures alongside their two living children.
JEN THOMSPON
co-founder, Board member
Jen is one of founders of Empty Arms Vermont, as well as a group facilitator. After the death of her first born daughter, Lydia, Jen has found great comfort in relationships with other parents who have lost children. This is what makes her so passionate to serve with Empty Arms Vermont. Jen spends her days caring for her family, working at Richmond Pediatrics, and enjoying life in beautiful Vermont.
Amanda McGann
Board Member
Amanda joins the Empty Arms board after her own walk through grief and suffering, most relatedly on her journey through infertility. She is passionate about helping people find their voice in the wilderness of grief and pain, and about the act of telling the whole truth of our losses and grief. She is a frequent speaker and teacher, especially in the areas of grief, suffering, and lament. She holds a B.A in Secondary Education- Social Studies, and an M.A. in Counseling, and she practices in her own counseling practice, as well as working in leadership development. Originally from Indiana, she now resides in Huntington, VT with her husband, and three children. She loves trail running, reading, and dancing.
Nina Lesser-Goldsmith
Board Member
Nina joins the board of Empty Arms after nearly a decade of peer support work in the Vermont loss community. Nina experienced two late-term miscarriages before being diagnosed with Insufficient Cervix at 19 weeks during her third pregnancy. Nina's losses and her subsequent pregnancy after loss experience inspired her to get involved and help others who were grieving the loss of children. Nina believes that healing is found in the sharing of stories and the offering of empathy. Her goal through peer support is to let others know that no matter how alone they may feel in the moment, there are others out there who know the familiar feeling of grief. Nina is a business owner and has sat on the board of numerous other non-profit organizations; she brings business acumen and board expertise to Empty Arms. A native Vermonter, Nina lives in Charlotte with her husband and two rainbow babies. Nina enjoys skiing, boating, gardening and cooking in her spare time.
