The
COMPASSIONATE
Newsletters
Our
quarterly newsletters announce TCF activities and include articles which are
helpful to families grieving the death of a child, as well as original writings
by bereaved parents and siblings from throughout The Compassionate Friends'
600-chapter nationwide "family." Mailed to all chapter members and to
other interested individuals, each issue reaches approximately 200 households.
Support Group Meetings
Our
monthly support group meetings are the heart of TCF.
These gatherings provide a caring environment in which bereaved parents
and adult siblings can talk freely about the emotions and experiences they are
going through and receive the understanding support of others who have
"been there." Through the years, the hope provided through these
sharing sessions has been more helpful than anything else in resolving bereaved
parents' grief. Grandparents are also welcome at our meetings.
Lending
Library
A lending library of books, audio tapes and videos are available at each meeting. Members may browse the library and check out materials for home reading or viewing between meetings.
Phone Friends
Each
year hundreds of telephone inquiries are received from bereaved parents,
referring agencies, individuals and the general public.
Some of these calls are the result of TCF members in other cities
referring Rockland and surrounding counties’ friends to us.
The chapter also maintains a list of "phone friends," members
who have "been there" and can be called at any time a bereaved parent
needs someone to talk to.
Information and Education
Part
of our mission is to promote better understanding of parental and sibling grief.
Examples of this effort have included:
-
Providing speakers to those who are interested in learning how to be more
supportive of families who have experienced the death of a child.
-
Distributing informational material to professionals in hospitals,
hospices, funeral homes and churches, as well as to other concerned individuals.
Two special events are held each year in memory of our children. In the fall, family members gather for a Children's Memorial Day at our Garden located at Veterans Memorial Park, Orangeburg, NY, where many of our children are memorialized. Our annual Candle Lighting Service and Memorial Celebration is held in December.
Funding
There are no individual dues or fees of any kind. The Compassionate Friends depends entirely on voluntary contributions from individuals and organizations to meet chapter expenses. The Compassionate Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; all donations are tax-exempt.