Grief Resources
Understanding Grief, Grief Support Groups, Links to Resources
Understanding Grief
Grief is normal – it is a healthy response to a loss.
Grief is universal – we all grieve.
Grief is unique – we grieve in a way consistent with our own personality and with what the loss means to us personally.
Grief is a process whereby we work through the feelings and learn to live with the changes in our lives brought on by the loss.
We are forever changed by the losses in our lives; we never “GET OVER” grief, but we do learn to live with our losses and, in time, find renewed purpose and meaning in life.
Grief takes a long time. Experts tell us that after the death of someone beloved it is normal for it to take at least three to five years to rebuild our lives. This does not mean that we will be in the intense emotional pain we experienced in the early months for that long. It does mean, however, that adjusting to all the changes and working through the myriad of feelings won’t happen in an orderly fashion during the first year, it will probably take more time.
Ongoing support from other people is one of the most helpful factors in working through the feelings and learning to live with all the changes of normal grief. We need to talk about it; we need to share our story. Grief support groups give survivors the opportunity to share their own stories and to listen compassionately to the stories of others.
Our Support Group: Facing the Future by Sharing Our Loss
Our support group for adults grieving the death of a loved one is offered twice a year. In the spring (evenings) and fall (afternoons). We meet for eight meetings over 16 weeks. Some topics for discussion include: honoring stories, myths of grief, tasks of mourning, self-care and support. “Facing The Future By Sharing Our Loss,” is facilitated by Jane Ingebrand RN, BES. This support group is open to all adults in our community. Participants seem to benefit most from this support group if they have been bereaved four to 24 months. The fee for this group is $16.00 for materials. Pre-registration is required as space is limited to twelve group members.
For more information call: Jane at Akkerman – Ingebrand Funeral and Cremation Services - 320-679-1933 or Rock – Ingebrand Funeral Service – 320-396-2121.
Other support resources:
THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS: EAST CENTRAL MN CHAPTER is a new local support group opportunity for bereaved parents and siblings. The first meeting of the East Central MN Chapter will be on May 16, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church (1050 Southview Ave., Braham, MN). The group will meet every third Thursday of the month at that location. For more information call: 763-568-4138 or email: tcfeastcentral@yahoo.com.
The Compassionate Friends was founded over 40 years ago when a chaplain at the Warwickshire Hospital in England brought together two sets of grieving parents and realized that the support they gave each other was better than anything he, as a chaplain, could ever say or provide. Meeting around a kitchen table, The Society of the Compassionate Friends was born. The Compassionate Friends was established in the United States and incorporated in 1978 in Illinois.
The mission of The Compassionate Friends: When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.
Some of the information above has been compiled from The Compassionate Friends website. To learn more about The Compassionate Friends, go to: http://www.compassionatefriends.org
Kanabec Hospice Grief Support Group
The time has changed. Call facilitator Molly O’Reilly at: 320-679-6330 for updated info.
S.A.V.E. – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education www.save.org
Meetings in MORA: Immanuel Lutheran, 2088 Highway 70
Pastor Lori Blake – 320-679-2015
Meets 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month from 7–8:30 p.m.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Spouse/Partner Grief & Loss
601 E. St. NW
Washington, DC 20049
1-800-424-3410
For Bereaved Parents:
THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS: EAST CENTRAL MN CHAPTER is a new local support group opportunity for bereaved parents and siblings. The first meeting of the East Central MN Chapter will be on May 16, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church (1050 Southview Ave., Braham, MN). The group will meet every third Thursday of the month at that location. For more information call: 763-568-4138 or email: tcfeastcentral@yahoo.com.
To learn more about The Compassionate Friends, go to: http://www.compassionatefriends.org
Minnesota Sudden Infant Death Center
Children’s Hospitals and Clinics
2525 Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A
612-813-6285
1-800-732-3812
MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving
2429 University Avenue West
St Paul, MN 55114
Phone: 651-523-0802
Fax: 651-523-0817
E-mail: edcomm@maddmn.org
Children’s Grief Connection http://www.childrensgriefconnection.com/
The Dougy Center
P.O. Box 86852
Portland, Oregon
505-775-5683
Bereavement Publishers
Center for Loss, Ft. Collins, Colorado