The Parentless Club: Finding Community in Grief

Amanda Katz was 21 when her mother died in 2017. She remembers the ache of Mother's Day—all those ads, shop windows, and social media posts celebrating something she no longer had. "Everyone else is getting excited about the brunch reservation, which flowers they're going to buy and how they're going to shower their mom with love," she recalls. "When you don't have a mom, all of those ads and shop windows are a reminder of who and what is missing."

Katz started thinking about creating a space where people without moms could connect and celebrate their memories together. In 2024, Motherless Day was born. But it turned out there was a whole community of parentless people in Toronto who craved support and connection beyond just one day a year.

Later that year, Katz partnered with Nikki Lewis, a brand strategist in Vancouver, and together they launched The Parentless Club. The first Fatherless Day event happened in 2025. This year's second annual Fatherless Day event takes place on June 21 at Three Horses Cafe in the Junction.

The gathering is intentionally low-key: beer, cards, conversation, and the chance to meet others who understand the specific grief of moving through a day meant to celebrate a parent you no longer have.

Many people grieving find themselves filtering how they talk about their loss in an effort to protect others' comfort. At Fatherless Day, attendees are encouraged to speak freely and unapologetically. "You don't need to repress any of the things that could be seen as an overshare to others," says Lewis.

But the club also makes space for those who don't want to dive into grief at all. "The club doesn't put pressure on anyone to tap into dark or heavy feelings," Lewis notes. After all, not everyone's relationship with their deceased parent was ideal. Katz is open about her own complex relationship with her mother. "Some people never had a relationship with their parent, some are estranged from their parents," she says. "Whatever type of loss you're going through, this is a space to feel it."

Katz and Lewis have been listening closely to what attendees want from future events. At last year's Fatherless Day, one person mentioned the joy they get from saying their dad's name out loud. This year, there will be name tags for participants who want to write and wear their dads' names.

The club has partnered with local businesses run by people who have also lost a parent. Le Gourmand Bakery is providing cookies. Hayden's Philly Cheesesteaks is handling catering. Forever Young Ink is offering tattoos. Even the club's logo was designed by an illustrator who lost his dad. "This is a club that none of us want to be a part of, but we're in it together, and that helps," Katz says.

Attendees often stay at the venue for hours after events end, continuing conversations with people they've just met. Many have active group chats from last year's festivities. "We all speak the same language," says Amanda Moss, who lost her father in August and attended Motherless Day. "You can talk about your loved one without having to drop the shoe of, 'Oh, by the way, they're dead.'"

Moss is feeling more at peace this year as she approaches Father's Day for the first time without her dad. She's already planning to attend Fatherless Day.