Billy’s Place began with a loss that forever changed founder Juli McGreal’s life and a desire to ensure other families would never have to navigate grief alone.
When McGreal’s husband, Mike, was killed in a car accident in 2005, their son Billy was just 15 months old. As mother and son began navigating life after loss, McGreal discovered how difficult it was to find support designed for both grieving children and their caregivers.
“Billy’s Place was born out of my own grief,” McGreal says. “I quickly realized there weren’t many places where grieving children and their caregivers could receive support together in a way that felt safe, hopeful and accessible.”
After finding a grief support center in Wisconsin, McGreal experienced the difference community could make. When she later moved to Arizona, that experience inspired her to create Billy’s Place and bring that same sense of comfort and connection to families facing some of life’s most difficult moments.
Today, the organization has supported thousands of children and caregivers, offering a welcoming environment where families can connect with others who understand their experiences.
“Community means belonging,” McGreal says. “It means having a place where your story matters, where your child doesn’t feel different because they’ve experienced loss.”
At Billy’s Place, healing can take many forms. Children are encouraged to express themselves through conversation, art, play and movement, including in the Emotion Commotion Room, where “big feelings are welcome.”
Often, McGreal says, the most meaningful breakthroughs happen quietly: a child laughing with someone who understands, a parent sharing their story, or families forming friendships that extend beyond the program.
“Healing doesn’t happen all at once,” she says. “It happens in small moments one conversation, one smile, one connection at a time.”
Through volunteers, donors, businesses and community partners, Billy’s Place continues expanding its reach while holding tightly to its original mission of helping families feel seen, supported and surrounded by people who care.
“Grief changes us, but it doesn’t have to define us,” McGreal says. “Hope doesn’t erase grief; it simply reminds us that even after tremendous loss, love continues, healing is possible, and none of us were ever meant to walk this journey alone.”