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 (within the first year of infancy), 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.
Staff
chelsea levis
Executive director, pMH-C
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. For her, grief is not a moment to get through, but a lifetime to explore and cultivate. Through Empty Arms Vermont, Chelsea works to extend community support and connect families and individuals that can know each other through shared grief experiences.
Chelsea grew up in Vermont and loves this little state and the friendships found here. As a family, Chelsea and Jonathan spend most of their time hiking, gardening, and finding new adventures alongside their two living children.
MARIE FRIETZE
Development & Outreach Coordinator
Marie’s search and discovery of Empty Arms came during the anniversary of her first born, Magdalena’s (Maggie), death which occurred hours after Maggie was born in 2010. This devastating loss was compounded by a miscarriage during a subsequent pregnancy. The community that Empty Arms provides has filled a gap in Marie’s grief journey. She hopes to bring awareness to the prevalence of pregnancy and infant loss as well as foster a culture change around how best to provide support to others during times of grief.
Marie lives and works in Burlington with her husband, Seth, and their two living children. Exploring new snacks at grocery stores abroad, singing karaoke, reading with her family, and simply hanging out at home bring her joy.
marie@emptyarmsvermont.org
Ellie blackburn
program & development administrator
Ellie is from Montpelier, VT and a senior at UVM studying Public Health Sciences, with a strong interest in health communication and reproductive health. In her free time, Ellie loves skiing, backpacking, swimming, and baking.
ellie@emptyarmsvermont.org
Board of Directors
Nina Lesser-Goldsmith
Board Member, President
Nina joins the Board of Empty Arms Vermont after nearly a decade of peer support work in the Vermont loss community, informed by her own experiences with late-term miscarriage and pregnancy after loss. A business owner and experienced nonprofit board member, Nina brings valuable leadership and empathy to the organization and lives in Charlotte with her husband and two rainbow children.
JEN THOMPSON
CO-FOUNDER
Board Member, secretary
Jen is one of founders of Empty Arms Vermont. 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.
Rebecca Robinson
Board Member, treasurer
Rebecca joins the Empty Arms Vermont Board after experiencing a miscarriage in her first pregnancy, which revealed the importance of openly acknowledging loss and grief within a supportive community. She brings professional experience from both for-profit and nonprofit organizations and lives in Essex, Vermont with her husband and two children.
chelsea Oclatis
Board Member
Chelsea joins the Empty Arms Vermont Board with extensive experience as a Registered Nurse specializing in reproductive health and currently serves as Nurse Manager at Maitri, where she has worked since 2018. Her commitment to this work is deeply personal—shaped by her family’s experience with miscarriage and her daily work alongside patients navigating loss—and she brings both clinical expertise and compassionate care to supporting grieving families.
Rachel Gaston
Board Member
Rachel Gaston lives in Burlington with her family and brings both personal and professional insight to Empty Arms Vermont, shaped by her experiences with miscarriage, termination for medical reasons, and parenting while grieving. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and co-facilitator of the Parenting Support Circle, Rachel is passionate about strengthening training and resources for mental health and medical providers across Vermont.
