Bereaved Parents - Tucson Compassionate Friends · Victor Montemurro TCF Medford, NY ... Jacquelyn...
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Transcript of Bereaved Parents - Tucson Compassionate Friends · Victor Montemurro TCF Medford, NY ... Jacquelyn...
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WALKING THIS VALLEY- Tucson Chapter Vol. 35 No.4 Sept. –Oct., 2017
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: IN OCTOBER, THE TUCSON CHAPTER OF THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS WILL BE CHANGING OUR MEETING LOCATION. WE HAVE BEEN AT CATALINA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FOR SEVERAL DECADES BUT, DUE TO INCREASES IN RENT AND A GENEROUS OFFER FROM ANOTHER CHURCH, WE WILL BE MOVING OUR MEETINGS TO CHRIST CHURCH UNITED METHODIST AT 655 N. CRAYCROFT.
Bereaved Parents Different ages
Different stages Different issues Same pain Daily strain Occasional tissues Our children have died
Often is all we know A fact we fear to hide Despite our ever-present woe We live with pride Though broken-hearted To love, remember, and grow
Victor Montemurro TCF Medford, NY
Tucson Chapter
P.O. Box 30733
Tucson, AZ 85751-0733
(520) 721-8042
www.tucsontcf.org
National Headquarters
P.O. Box 3696
Oak Brook, IL 60522
Toll free (877) 969-0010
www.compassionatefriends.org
We’re sorry for the reason you’re here, but we’re glad you’ve found us. –Tucson TCF
Tucson Chapter Meetings: Catalina United Methodist Church 2700 E. Speedway Blvd, H-232
Second and Fourth Wednesdays 7:00pm-9:00pm
September 13, 27 October 11, 25 (Our Chapter Candle lighting) November 8, 22
Welcome!
All bereaved parents, grandparents, and adult siblings are welcome at our support group meetings.
Here you will find comfort, caring people, and most of all-HOPE. Coming to the first meeting is
hard but, you have nothing to lose and much to gain. For many it is the first real step toward
healing. Although it may seem overwhelming, we encourage you to come to several meetings to
give yourself a chance to become comfortable. The hope of The Compassionate Friends is that
those who need us would find us and that those that find us would be helped. TCF also provides
information to help members be supportive to each other.
We are not professional counselors. We are bereaved families who want to help each other.
Please join us as we heal.
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Past Events: At the end of July The Compassionate Friends held their annual
conference in Orlando, Florida. Sharon and Kristi Farrell, Kenny and Diane
Allison attended. They were able to enjoy a reunion with Stephanie and Alexis
Bertsch. They even met a new friend, Debra from Florida, and had lunch together.
The workshops were
helpful though many
were quite crowded.
The one on PTSD was
led by an energetic
presenter who was
quite open in sharing
her views on people
who are “without a
clue”. She also shared
information about two
apps you can use to
photo shop in a photo
of your child into a
picture you take today
(IMIKIMI and Master Photo Blender). The candle lighting was twice as touching as
in previous years (ask for details). The next conference will be in St. Louis,
Missouri July 27-29, 2018.
Online Support: The Compassionate Friends offers an online support community. There are
general and specific bereavement sessions. Go to www.compassionatefriends.org and click on
resources.
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September Birthdays
MICHAEL STEPHEN ACOSTA PALINA ALDECOA MIKE BALL
MICHEAL AUSTIN ANDERSON TOM BATES ANITA BECERRA
BRANDIE CAMPBELL MARTY BEDELL ALEAH CRUCE
SEAN KELLY CATAUDELLA MAVERICK CAMPISI JACOB EISNER
GEORGIA COLEHOUR MATTHEW DODGE LISA GATZ
ANTHONY JESUS DURON STEFAN ENRIQUEZ RYAN HORN
MAKAYLA SOPHIA GUNDERSON JEFFREY HILL JR. REBECCA KATZ
MCKENZIE HARRISON DANIEL HUGHES JOE KEELING
JAYANNA LYNN JUAN ANGEL LEON ZACH MORGAN
MATTHEW KAUFMAN RICHARD MORGAN AARON NICHOLS
ZEMIRA BAYLA LENC BEN-DAVID PFLUG ADAM REICHEG
CHRISTOPHER MUELLER KRYSTAL SUE MAEDL SEAN SEGALL
REYNALDO PARADA CLINT SMITH AMY SVOBODA
MICHAEL SCHNEIDER MARLA THYE C WARNER
CHRISTIAN WATSON RICK WILLIAMS DUSTIN YODER
EDITH LAURAINE WHITSETT CHRISTOPHER FRANKLIN RICHTER
September Remembrance Days
DAVID ARAOS MARK BATES
KEVIN BOOS JOHN CARSTENS
LISA GATZ MATTHEW DODGE
CRAIG HAUGE JESSE GELSINGER
RYAN KITTREDGE PETER KJOLSRUD
DENNY MALLORY TRENT MAPELSDEN
GIDEON MCDONALD BRYAN MCLAUGHLIN
DAMIEN MELZER RICHARD MORGAN
DAVID RADTKE JEFFREY SEWELL MICHEAL P SHEATS
CURTIS LEE EHLERS REBECCA SIEGEL LORI L. SMITH
RAUL (BUDDY) GARCIA MCKENZIE HARRISON MELISSA HEYMERS
MERCER JOHNSON III JAYANNA LYNN JUAN DELLVON WATSON
JUSTIN ZEHNGUT PRESTON WERNER WENDY WHITACRE
JONATHAN D WILLIAMS NATHAN SPANGENBERG
SABRINA KINSLEIGH WILLIAMS RICHARD NICHOLAS UMBERGER
KEVIN ROBINSON-BARAJAS JESSICA ROSE RUSSELL
PETER JAMES "PJ" FARRELL KETZIA AMAIRANY FLORES
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Fundraising: On Monday, September 25 we will be having a fundraiser at
Sauce on Broadway and Rosemont. Look for the flier on our website and on
Facebook or just mention you are there for the Tucson Chapter of The
Compassionate Friends
15% of sales from 11am-9pm are donated to the charity
Guests dining at the restaurant for the benefit day must mention the organization or show a flier in order to have the % applied to their bill
Jim Click Raffle: Win one of THREE great prizes! Grand Prize: 2017 Ford Explorer
Platinum 2nd Prize: Two round-trip, first-
class airline tickets to anywhere in the world!*
3rd Prize: $5,000 cash! Check Millions for
Tucson for more information. Any money
brought in stays with the Tucson Chapter of TCF.
Last year we made $3000 on this opportunity.
Donations: Love Gifts support all costs for our organization from room rental (currently covered through a grant) and storage rental to printing programs for events and even ink
for newsletters. Many give through their employer to the ECAP program. We thank and appreciate all those who donate whether in the name of their own child or in memory and support of family or friends.
Angels Among Us
Our Angels are among us We see them everyday In all the forms that God created... They are with us along life’s way. We see them in the sunrise, That brightens and warms our soul. We feel them in the summer breeze That chases away our cold. They are there among the flowers... Their sweet scent a memory of love. They soar with the eagles, As they fly so high above. The night will find them in the stars, Lighting our path below. And even in our dreams, Their presence we’ll still know. As the snow melts with the sun, And spring flowers peek through their beds, They come on the wings of butterflies, And flutter about our heads. They are telling us they are with us, And will be forever more... Until it’s time for us to meet again, As we pass through heaven’s door.
Jacquelyn M. Comeaux Copyright 2001 Reprinted by permission of author
Photo buttons are now made at meetings. Bring your child’s photo printed on plain paper (button is 3” round) and ask anyone with a ribbon on their nametag for assistance.
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Future Events:
Fundraiser at Sauce on September 25.
Our Chapter Candle lighting will be on October
25, 2017 at Christ Church United Methodist at 655 N.
Craycroft. Come early as our event will start promptly
at 7pm. Bring a picture of your child and/or memento to display as
well as a finger food to share. All bereaved families and friends are
welcome.
The Compassionate Friends National Day of Remembrance and
Candle Lighting will be on December 10 at 7pm at the Children’s
Memorial Park off River. Please come early and dress warmly.
C.S. Lewis, Irish author, literary critic and poet
"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."
Like the Tucson Chapter on Facebook: The Compassionate Friends-Tucson
ID PINS: Kevin Trapp makes our ID Pins. Send him an email at [email protected] with the photo you want attached. Include the first and last name of the parent and the name and age of the child. These name tags are at no charge.
COOKIES Fellowship is an important part of every meeting. Please sign up to bring a snack
to share. This can be on a Birthday or Remembrance Day or anytime
throughout the year. Thanks so much.
Unless expressly stated, the views expressed in articles,
poetry, etc. in Walking This Valley are not necessarily the
views of The Compassionate Friends, The Chapter Steering
Committee or the Editorial Team. The Editor reserves the
right to edit any contributions.
OTHER TUCSON SUPPORT GROUPS
Information & Referral Services…..800-352-3792
Homicide Survivors, Inc…..520-740-5729
FOOTPRINTS-Pregnancy and Infant loss….520-873-6590
Tu Nidito/Children to Children…..520-322-9155
Alive Alone http://www.alivealone.org/ -for parent(s) who have lost their only child
MISS FOUNDATION http://www.missfoundation.org/
Soulistic Hospice Grief and Recovery Group: Annise Miller 520-820-6610
Survivors of Suicide……. 520-989-0467
Contact: hotline (520) 721-8042 or visit our website at www.tucsontcf.org
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October Birthdays
AARON THOMAS ATHERTON JENNIFER BAIN NANCY BATES DIETZ
JONATHAN BECK MADISYN BERTSCH KELLI BONN
JOHN BREMOND SELENA BURNEY JOHN PATRICK CLINE
KATIE DECKER JOY FEULING ERB ASHLEY FRANCO
JOHN GEHLEN PAUL GOGUEN JOSHUA GREEN
DREW GYORKE SHANE HARVEY RYAN KITTREDGE
MARTHA HARRINGTON AMY LOGAN GAGE LA FONTAINE
WRIGHT SAMUEL JOHNSON DENNY MALLORY TRENT MAPELSDEN
JACQUES MARGODT ANGEL MARTINEZ GIDEON MCDONALD
PAUL METZGER JODI MONWAND BRANDEN PEASE
KAREN PRICE PAUL ROBOLD BRODIE SCHMICH
ERIC SCHULTZ MATTHEW SCOTT KRISTIN SMITH
BETH STERN KENNETH WALTER RON WHEELER
WENDY WHITACRE KEVIN ROBINSON-BARAJAS
October Remembrance Days
MATTHEW ALTLAND TIM GOAR
OSWALDO BAKER JONATHAN BECK
RENEE BLANCHARD JOHN BREMOND
TRUDIE CALE MONIQUE CELIA
HAVEN CROSS RICK WILLIAMS
JOY FEULING ERB JASMIN GAXIOLA
ROGER PAUL EAGLE JONATHAN ZINSLI C WARNER
PAUL GOGUEN LEAH GOODMAN JOSHUA GREEN
RICKY HAMRICK JOSHUA HOLDEN MEGHAN JONES
SABRINA JOY DAVID KETTUNEN KEITH KRAGE
JOSE EDY LEYVA ANGEL MARTINEZ SCOTT MULLEN
ERIC OGDEN FERNANDO ORTIZ, III TIMOTHY PARFREY
GRANT J. PIONTEK KAREN PRICE DOUGIE SALSBURY
ROCKY STEWART MICHAEL TWOHILL PHILIP WORKMAN
MARTIN VALENZUELA LINDSAY WAKEFIELD CLIFFORD WALTEIN
CHRISTOPHER MUELLER MATTHEW UNTERRINER
BRADLEY CHARLES MAPLES JAMESON GILES PERSONIUS
EDWARD VINCENT ANDREW RAMOS DANIELLE WELLS-BORQUEZ
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TCF National Organization on Facebook Please visit and help promote The Compassionate Friends National Organization’s Facebook
page by becoming a fan. Click on the Facebook icon from TCF’s national website home page at
www.compassionatefriends.org. Or, you can find it by going to: www.facebook.com/TCFUSA.
We want this to be both an informative and supportive place for those of us who are mourning
the death of a child, sibling, or grandchild. All are welcome to leave messages and talk about
their child and their grief. As in our meetings, we especially appreciate shared insights about
anything that has brought you comfort, hope, or some measure of peace.
In addition to the social support aspect, The Compassionate Friends/USA Facebook page has
posts about upcoming events Please visit often and contribute to the conversation.
TCF is also now on Twitter. Search for TCFofUSA. These social media initiatives are important
to help TCF increase public awareness about our organization and better enable us to fulfill our
mission to help bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents.
For more information, please call TCF’s National Office at 877-969-0010 or e-mail
The Compassionate Friends Credo: We need not walk alone. We are The Compassionate
Friends. We reach out to each other with love, with understanding, and with hope. The children we mourn have died at all ages and from many different causes, but our love for them unites us. Your pain becomes my pain, just as your hope becomes my hope. We come together from all walks of life, from many different circumstances. We are a unique family because we represent many races, creeds, and relationships. We are young, and we are old. Some of us are far along in our grief, but others still feel a grief so fresh and so intensely painful that they feel helpless and see no hope. Some of us have found our faith to be a source of strength, while some of us are struggling to find answers. Some of us are angry, filled with guilt or in deep depression, while others radiate an inner peace. But whatever pain we bring to this gathering of The Compassionate Friends, it is pain we will share, just as we share with each other our love for the children who have died. We are all seeking and struggling to build a future for ourselves, but we are committed to building a future together. We reach out to each other in love to share the pain as well as the joy, share the anger as well as the peace, share the faith as well as the doubts, and help each other to grieve as well as to grow. We Need Not Walk Alone. We Are The Compassionate Friends.
Chapter Steering Committee
Leader: Melissa Chico Co Leaders: Cat Morrow/Stella Salazar
Editor: Diane Allison Contributing Editors: All members
Outreach/ Correspondence: Estella Salazar
Facebook: Melissa Chico, Cat Morrow Website: Julie Shulick
New Attendee Coordinator: Cat Morrow Library: Debbie Russell
Treasurer: Erin Chico Co Treasurer: Sharon Farrell
Facilitators: Cindy Walter, Melissa Chico, Tara Chico, Carolyn Manka, Kim
Teschner
Regional Coordinators
Barb & Gene Caligari, Chandler, AZ; Denise Dean
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A National self-help, non-profit organization for families who have
experienced the death of a child
THE TUCSON CHAPTER
P.O. 30733
Tucson, AZ 85751-0733
Return Service Requested
Nicholas Evans, English
journalist and author
"Listen for my footfall in your
heart.
I am not gone but merely walk
within you."
September-October 2017
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Paid
Tucson, AZ
Permit No. 2296