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The Compassionate Friends
Salem Oregon Chapter P.O. Box 13639 Salem, OR 97309 (503) 743-3930 |
Meetings
First MondaysGeneral meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. There is no charge to attend. Read about what you should expect when you attend. Where: 2740 25th St SE, Salem, Oregon When: 7:00 p.m. Facilitators:Jean Gary (541) 418-1149 and Janie Erickson (503) 931-1748. Second Monday MeetingTCF general meeting. Call Janie at (503) 931-1748 or Linda at (541) 367-7916 for more information. Third Monday MeetingGeneral meeting with emphasis on Adult Child Sudden Death. On the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. There is no charge to attend. Where: 2740 25th St SE, Salem, Oregon When: 7:00 p.m. Contact: Janie, facilitator, (503) 931-1748 Bi-Monthly NewsletterSalem TCF publishes a newsletter for our members with information about our group, shared poems, thoughts, and memories.
What to Expect When You AttendOur monthly meetings are attended by as few as 5 or as many as 30. They are conducted by a trained facilitator who has also lost a child and is in a place in their grief that they are able to lead the meetings. Sometimes, especially if the group is large, we break into smaller groups according to similar losses, such as adult traumatic or sudden death, or stillborn/miscarriage loss. We try to be sensitive to the needs of those who attend and adjust accordingly. Each person in attendance has the option of sharing their story or not. Sometimes, just being in a meeting and hearing that you are not alone is enough to help us through the day. Sharing with others is the very heart of TCF. Our meetings are havens where members feel free to talk about their children who have died; the emotions they are going through; the painful, thoughtless comments that may have been made to them; their feelings of sadness, guilt, or anger—subjects no one else wants to hear them talk about. They discuss the progress they are making and ways of coping that have been helpful for them. With the guidance and reassurance of members who are further along in their grief journey, gradually—sometimes over a period of many months or several years—members learn how to survive what has happened, find a "new normal," and begin to rebuild their lives. The Compassionate Friends is not a therapy group, nor are our meetings "therapy" sessions. Yet healing is slowly and gently promoted as families gain insight and understanding. At chapter meetings members learn they are not alone in facing this terrible tragedy—others have faced the isolation and desperation the loss of a child can bring. Families that feel they are coping effectively with their loss, as well as those discouraged by a lack of progress, find attending meetings to be helpful. While there are no instant solutions, no easy answers, and no timetable for grieving, there is comfort in the sense of direction found through knowledge and understanding of the grief experience. Bereaved families can find hope, healing, and the will to survive. "You know you're at a TCF meeting when...
(Author unknown, TCF Burleson, Texas.) The Compassionate Friends Credo... what we believe. |