Community Grief Support

"Lift Your Spirits" Charity Gala Sneak Preview

2011-10-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

Started your Holiday Shopping yet? Find the “perfect” gift for him or her at the CGSS 8^th Annual “Lift Your Spirits” Charity Gala and Auction, Thursday, Oct. 20!

Here’s a sneak preview:

· Weekend at Pensacola Beach Hilton

· Outfit from Town & Country Clothes

· Saban autographed Alabama football and memorabilia

· Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings prints

· Tailgate party with grill

· Family vacation for 8 at Gulf Shores

· Alabama Symphony tickets

· Dining at Fleming’s, Shula’s, Bone Fish

· Vacation at Wolf Laurel Resort

· Daniel Moore “Champions” framed print

· Tuition to Samford’s baseball, football, soccer and basketball camps

· Auburn/Ole Miss tickets

· Diamond cross from Wallace-Burke

· Chizik autographed football and collectors’ items

· Chef’s Table dining at Veranda

· Sunset flight over Birmingham

· Emerald stud earrings and emerald/diamond ring

· Golf at Greystone

· Instant wine cellar

· Diamonds Direct gift certificate

· Original art – and lots more. . .

Proceeds will help provide more than 1200 hours of grief counseling and grief support for bereaved adults struggling after the death of a loved one.

Where? Park Lane in Mountain Brook from 5:30-8:30 pm. Individual reservations -- $100 ($70 is tax deductible); sponsor tables available. For reservations, call 870-8667 now!

Bid early and often!!!

Save the Date for LIFT YOUR SPIRITS!

2011-07-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

CGSS is priviledged to pay tribute to Mal Moore, University of Alabama Athletic Director, our Honorary Chairman for the 2011 "Lift Your Spirits" Gala.

All profits from this fundraiser are used to help pay for our free grief support services. In 2010 CGSS provided, free of charge, more than 1,200 hours of professional grief counseling and facilitation for grief support groups, as well as nine Grief-in-the-Workplace seminars and grief education programs for the community, including the annual “Hope for the Holidays” seminar.

Save the date and watch for details to come...

If you would like to be on the invitation list for the 2011 Lift Your Spirits gala and auction, then please email your contact information to communitygriefsu@bellsouth.net.

Living with Grief Following a Traumatic Loss

2011-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

We extend our heartfelt compassion to the thousands of Alabamians who suffered such devastating losses in the April 27 tornadoes that swept across our state. Community Grief Support Service is teaming with The Amelia Center and other member agencies of The Grief & Loss Coalition of Birmingham to mobilize assistance for those throughout North Central Alabama who lost loved ones in the devastation. Dates and locations for community-wide meetings in June and July for bereaved survivors in Jefferson, Walker, St. Clair and Tuscaloosa counties will be posted on our website.

Meanwhile, we offer you the free resources of Community Grief Support Services – individual, couples and family counseling, support groups, and educational programs. Simply call us at 205.870.8667 for more information or for an appointment.

What is important to remember about grief brought on by sudden, traumatic loss?

Survivors not only experience varying intensities and dimensions of grief over the loss of loved ones, property, employment, and social identity (to name but several), but have also been exposed to varying degrees of trauma.

Bereavement expert Dr. Therese Rando defines trauma as “an event, perceived to be inescapable, that confronts a person with actual or threatened death or serious injury (physical or psychological) to the self or other.” This trauma “overwhelms the person’s coping abilities, creates helplessness, anxiety, fear and other types of psychological distress, violates the person’s assumptive world, and stimulates physical reactions stemming from built-in fight, flight or freeze reactions.” She describes the symptoms below:

Typical symptoms of people suffering from traumatic bereavement

Anger

Anxiety, fear and panic

Avoidance, numbing and forgetting

Diminished self-concern

Disorganization, depression and despair

Dissociation

Grief spasms

Guilt and shame

Holding on to your loved one

Impaired mental functioning

“Losing it”

Physical reactions, such as hyperarousal and a sensitized nervous system

Re-experiencing the loss

Searching for death-related information

Searching, avoidance, addictive and/ or compulsive behaviors

Shattered assumptive world and loss of meaning

Sorrow, separation pain, longing and searching

What is important to know about these “symptoms”?

1. They are completely normal.

2. They also have communicative value.

These symptoms are Nature’s way of inviting us to slow down, moderate our pace of living, take plenty of time for ourselves and lessen or avoid participating in activities that don’t promote rest, recovery and healing.

Survivors of traumatic loss are, in the beginning, understandably preoccupied with mobilizing resources for physical and emotional survival. Accessing medical care, securing housing, food and clothing, planning funeral and memorial services, attending to legal and financial concerns and other needs take precedence over emotional and spiritual self-care – at least for a time.

The shock or “numbness” that mourners experience during bereavement is normally more intense and can last substantially longer for those who have incurred traumatic loss. This experience has also been described as being on “autopilot” and is Nature’s way of protecting us from the overwhelming impact of the trauma and loss. Some experts believe that this shock can last for six months or longer, depending upon the severity of the trauma, the nature of the loss, the nature of one’s relationship to the deceased, and other factors.

What can impact a mourner’s capacity to heal?

Two key factors can have a dramatic impact on a mourner’s capacity to heal:

1. One’s coping style (“active coping” – making use of internal and external resources, as opposed to “avoidant coping”)

2. The responsiveness or quality of one’s circle of support. It is important that caregivers be exceptionally patient, kind and supportive of traumatic loss survivors for months and sometimes years from the onset of loss: they will require compassionate and understanding support “over the long haul.”

Traumatic loss – a dual challenge!

Traumatic loss survivors are faced with the twin challenge of healing from trauma and loss simultaneously. Since this can overwhelm an individual’s or a family’s capacity to heal (“the pressure cooker” phenomenon), professional intervention may be the best way to help reduce the intensity of the trauma symptoms and to allow the healing mourning process to begin. Community Grief Support can assist those who struggle with this challenging type of bereavement.

Survivors must ask for what they need!

We cannot overemphasize how important it is for survivors to ask for the support they need – whether material, financial, legal, emotional or spiritual. It is likewise essential that caregivers be proactive, anticipate needs, and offer support to survivors – in other words, to take the initiative.

You are not alone -- we’re here to walk the journey with you!

The staff and volunteers of Community Grief Support Service are committed to providing a full array of resources for the hurting, traumatized, bereaved survivors of April 27. Feel free to call on us for support – 205.870.8667.

Steve Sweatt, LPC/LMFT

Clinical Director

Wallowing in the Winter Wearies?

2011-02-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Once the twinkling glittering holidays are past, we all know the next few months will remain dark even though daylight has begun its inchworm return. Those of us who awake before sunrise and leave work after sunset feel as though we live in the dark. Even in daylight, color is gone, trees are bare, everything seems cold and gray – including us. We seem to be living in a black and white movie.

If we are grieving a recent loss, we’ve been hit with a double whammy. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, can bring depression and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities. The winter months challenge the quality of life, and guess what? The acronym is appropriate because its symptoms are so similar to those of grief!

Craving sweets and comfort foods or finding no food that seems appetizing? Sleeping all night and drowsing all day or waking at 1 am and walking the floor, praying for sleep? Am I grieving or am I just SAD. If we are grieving, it’s déjà vu all over again. We were already vulnerable to depression and gray days and long nights are the last thing we needed. We thought we were doing a little better, but suddenly we feel worse.

Short of spending big bucks on a trip to the tropics, what can we do? Turn on the lights and keep the house warm – it’s cheaper than a vacation and it will feel cozy and comfortable. If we can’t have color outside, we can have it inside – fresh flowers or flowering plants have an uplifting effect on the psyche. Hang out with kids – winter doesn’t slow them down. Bake something wonderful and invite friends or family over to help eat it. Plant bulbs and put them in a sunny window -- something beautiful will happen in just a few weeks. Wear bright colors – so people will tell us how good we look instead of saying we look tired.

It’s February, folks – which means beneath that brown grass and dead leaves, spring is already stirring, getting ready for her grand entrance, bringing light and life and color back into our world – and our hearts!

Dr. Wolfelt Workshop Details

2011-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

CGSS is bringing Dr. Alan Wolfelt back to Birmingham for workshops on complicated and traumatic grief, April 5 at Canterbury Center and April 6 at St. Vincent’s Bruno Conference Center:

Tuesday, April 5th
The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way For those who are Grieving and for Caregivers

6:00-9:00pm at Canterbury Center
A community service - no charge
CE credits available - $25 charge
Confirmations by email only
Registration due March 31, 2011

Wednesday, April 6th
Exploring "Complicated" Mourning: Sudden Death, Suicide Grief & Trauma Loss

For healthcare professionals and caregivers
8:30am - 3:30pm at Bruno Conference Center
A community service - no charge
CE credits available - $75 charge
Confirmations by email only

Registration forms will be available at www.communitygriefsupport.org soon.

2011-01-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Not feeling like a "Happy New Year"?

"Happy" may not have much meaning for you if someone you cherished has recently died. Feelings of confusion, isolation and apprehension are more normal when you are grieving. Don't struggle with your grief alone! CGSS spring support groups begin next week. Join with others who are grieving and learn ways to regain control of your life.

There is no charge. CGSS counselors will lead the following groups:

Loss of Adult Child
Loss of Parent, Grandparent or Sibling
Loss of Spouse - Employable Age
Loss of Spouse - Retired
North Shelby General Loss
West End General Loss

For an intake interview, call 205.870.8667. Do it now - You will be glad you did!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!!
From Community Grief Support Service

Do you have the heart for it?

2010-12-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

• I’ve lost all my children, this was such a help.
• Thank you! I thought I was going crazy.
• I had no one to turn to. Now I have new friends to help me through rough times.
• When she died, I wanted to go, too. You gave me hope.
• I felt safe sharing my thoughts and emotions.
• My support group literally saved my life.

Those are the words of just a few of the more than 1,000 people who were helped by you and others like you this year. People who were struggling with the pain of grief. People who are now healing, thanks to your compassion and generosity.

Last year, we received a donation of $6.78 from a young boy. His father had died and he wanted to help others – it was all the money he had. He gave from his heart.

Life will never be the same for more than 30,000 adults in our community. That’s how many people whose loved ones died this year. Help CGSS make this Holiday Season one of hope for folks who have lost theirs.

It’s not the size of the donation that matters – it’s the size of the heart giving it.

Make your “heartfelt” gift here:

Grief in the Workplace Video

2010-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

2011 Wolfelt Workshops

2010-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Coming in 2011!

CGSS is bringing Dr. Alan Wolfelt back to Birmingham for workshops on complicated and traumatic grief, April 5 at Canterbury Center and April 6 at St. Vincent’s Bruno Conference Center. CE’s will be offered. Watch for details to be posted on our website in November.

Below is a brief video by Dr. Alan Wolfelt on the Importance of Memorialization:

Recommended Viewing:

2010-11-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

‘NOT MY SON’, a documentary film by Dwight Cameron featuring members of Parents Against Violence will be aired on Channel 10 on Nov. 16th at 8:00pm, Nov 22nd at 10:00pm, and Nov. 23rd at 1:00am. This powerful documentary illustrates the lasting impact that violent death in the Birmingham area has on the families of its victims.

Dwight Cameron is Director of Television Programming: Documentary Studies at the University of Alabama: Center for Public Television. This film received the Director's Choice Award for Social Relevance at the 2010 International Black Film Festival in Nashville. NOT MY SON has won several other film festival awards in Miami, Philadelphia and Birmingham.

Hope for the Holidays 2010

2010-11-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow: Hope for the Holidays!

2010-11-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hope for the Holidays Details:

Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Time: 9:00am -12:00pm
Where: Fellowship Hall at Trinity United Methodist Church
1400 Oxmoor Road in Homewood
Breakfeast: A light breakfast buffet will be served from 9-9:30 a.m.
Speaker: Bart Grooms
Live Performance: Sanspointe Dance Company
Cost: FREE! Seating space is limited
Registration: Call 205-870-8667 or Send an Email to communitygriefsu@bellsouth.net

Whether you have recently lost a loved one or continue to grieve a prior loss, we invite you and your family to join us.

2010 Lift Your Spirits Gala & Auction

2010-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Lift Your Spirits Gala Sneak Peak!

2010-10-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

You’ll want to be there as Jack Granger of Granger Thagard cranks up the heat at our Auction! Whether you “just want to have fun” or are seriously shopping for the holidays, here’s a peek at some of the great items:

- Outfit from Town & Country Clothes
- Pair of Daiwa Spinning reels w/rods
- Diamond and precious coral earrings
- AU/LSU game tickets
- $500 Diamonds Direct gift certificate
- Aerial photo of your property
- Porsche Driving School Hot Lap at Barber Motorsports Park
- Sunset flight for 2 over Birmingham
- 1989 bottle of Chateau Neuf du Pape
- Samford Baseball Camp
- Gulf-front Villa for 6-8 at Seagrove Beach
- Apple iPad Wi-Fi 16GB
- National Championship Alabama football signed by Coach Saban
- Renaissance Ross Bridge lodging, dining, spa & golf
- Golf at Greystone
- Reynolds Plantation vacation package
- Wine Cellar – 16 bottles of vintage wine
- Alabama Symphony Season Sampler for 4
- Sterling & diamond earrings by Scott Kay
- Dinner at Veranda for 4 w/chef Tom Robey
- Sawzall by Makita

Free “Early Bird” and “End of Auction” Drawings (must be present to win!)

Drop your car with the Valet, enjoy a delicious cocktail supper by “A Social Affair”, and kick back for an evening of fun, conversation and bargains galore!

It’s all for a great cause – helping folks who struggle with grief. See you Thursday, October 21, from 5:30-8 pm in the Penthouse of the Kress Building.

COME EARLY – AND BRING TEN FRIENDS!!!
Call 205-870-8667 to RSVP today!

2011 Support Group Calendar

2010-09-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Free Grief Support for Bereaved Adults

Don’t walk the grief journey alone! Come to our free support groups – a safe and supportive environment where you can learn how to cope with life after your loss. Here you will discover that your reactions are normal and you are not alone. If you are not yet ready for a support group, free individual counseling is available. To register and arrange for an intake interview, please call 205-870-8667.

Widowed Persons of Employable Age
11 consecutive Tuesdays, 5-7:45 pm
Spring: Jan 11 - March 22
Summer: May 10 – Jul 19
Fall: Sept 6 – Nov 15

Widowed Persons of Retirement Age
10 consecutive Wednesdays, 10-11:30 am
Spring: Jan 12 – Mar 16
Summer: May 11 – July 13
Fall: Sept 7 – Nov 9

Loss of Adult Child
10 consecutive Mondays, 6-7:30 pm
Spring: Jan 10 – Mar 14
Summer: May 9 – Jul 18 (no mtg July 4)
Fall: Sept 12 – Nov 14

Loss of Parent, Grandparent, Sibling
10 consecutive Thursdays, 6-7:45 pm
Spring: Jan 13 – Mar 17
Summer: May 12 – July 14
Fall: Sept 8 – Nov 10

West End General Loss
10 consecutive Thursdays, 6-7:30 pm
Spring: Jan 13 – Mar 17
Summer: May 12 – July 14
Fall: Sep 8 – Nov 10

North Shelby County General Loss
10 consecutive Wednesdays, 1:30-3 pm
Spring: Jan 12 – Mar 16
Summer: May 11 – July 13
Fall: Sept 7 – Nov 9

Locations are TBA. For other questions, please email communitygriefsu@bellsouth.net or call 205-870-8667.

Work Day for CGSS Gala and Auction

2010-09-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Back row: Brenda Bodine, Melba Dismukes, Melanie Fisher, Myrna Pittman, Carol MacMillan and Sandy Craft
Front row seated: Johanna Talley, Ann Whitaker and Marla Corts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Work Day for Community Grief Support Gala and Auction

Gala committee members and volunteers met for a work day September 17 to prepare for Community Grief Support’s annual “Lift Your Spirits” Gala and Auction. Members of the work party were Brenda Bodine, Lois Caldwell, Marla Corts, Sandy Craft, Melba Dismukes, Melanie Fisher, Carol MacMillan, Miranda McPherson, Jane Pearson, Myrna Pittman, Johanna Talley and Ann Whitaker. The group gathered auction items and stuffed, sealed and stamped stacks of invitations. They also enjoyed a light lunch and had a peek preview of the elegant silver, white and blue ostrich plume centerpieces being loaned for the occasion by Brenda Bodine.

The Gala’s Honorary Chairman, Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, President of Samford University serves on the CGSS Advisory Board and is a valued supporter of its programs. “Lift Your Spirits” will be October 21 from 5:30-8 pm in the Penthouse of the Kress Building. The cocktail supper is catered by A Social Affair and guests will receive complimentary valet parking. Items donated for the live and silent auctions include diamond and coral earrings, a beach vacation, Alabama and Auburn football game tickets, golf at Greystone, Diamonds Direct gift certificate, an outfit from Town and Country, a Kindle reader, fine wines and a Merry Lake bag.

The goal of the Gala is to raise $30,000 for free grief counseling and support groups for people struggling after the death of a loved one. This year alone, CGSS will provide more than 1,000 hours of free professional grief counseling and support group facilitation and part of that is funded by the Gala. American Printing Company donated the invitations and Commercial Printing Company donated the auction forms so more of the money raised can help those in need. Tickets are $75 per person.

To reserve tickets or learn more, call CGSS at 205.870.8667 or visit www.communitygriefsupport.org.

For more information, contact: Carol MacMillan, Administrative Director
205.870.8667 or communitygriefsu@bellsouth.net.

Mid-Year Counseling Hours

2010-09-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

As of July 31, CGSS had provided 290 hours of counseling. This included referrals from various area agencies: UAB’s TASC Program (Treatment Alternatives to Safer Communities), Alethia House, The Amelia Center, The Crisis Center, Fellowship House, The Lovelady Center, Oasis Women’s Counseling Center, Pathways, Survivors of Suicide. Referrals also came from communities of faith, healthcare and hospice professionals, funeral homes, former counselees and other sources – including from our Board and Advisory Board. Couples and family grief counseling is a new service this year. We continue to encourage referrals from local agencies in need of our services.

Grief in the Workplace Update

2010-08-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Taking our lunch-and-learn series directly to major employers paid off! After presenting “Grief Doesn’t Take a Work Break” to employees of Vulcan Materials Company and UAB this spring, both employers scheduled “Surviving the Holidays” programs for November, along with Alabama Power Company and Children’s Hospital. We will continue to offer this series to major employers who can provide the venue, publicize the program to their employees and handle registration. This format lets CGSS reach a lot more folks and at a minimal cost.

Save the Date for Lift Your Spirits!

2010-08-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

It's a Gala! It's an Auction! It's a chance to have fun and help others!

Save the date for Community Grief Support's Seventh Annual Lift Your Spirits Gala that will be held Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 5:30-8:00pm at the Kress Building Penthouse in Birmingham, Alabama.

We will be honoring Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, President of Samford University, and also hosting a cocktail dinner and both silent & live auctions in order to fund free counseling and support programs for adults struggling with grief following the death of a loved one.

Surviving the Holidays

2010-08-10T07:57:00.001-07:00

Here they come again!

CGSS's Surviving the Holidays Lunch and Learn Seminars are starting this November 2010! These seminars reveal practical ways to survive the holidays - not just at year end, but on all the significant days that trigger memories of our losses. In these seminars, participants will be able to hear practical grief and coping tips, create a personal holiday plan and discover ways that will help you...Survive the Holidays!

Alabama Power, Children's Hospital, UAB, and Vulcan Materials Company have scheduled seminars for their employees. If your company is interested in having CGSS present a Surviving the Holidays Lunch and Learn Seminar, then please contact our office at 205-870-8667.

Fall 2010 Group Support Calendar

2010-07-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Do you know someone who is struggling with grief following the death of a loved one? Free professional help is available for them at Community Grief Support Service, a non-profit agency serving the Greater Birmingham area since 1996. Please share our Fall Support Group Calendar with grieving adults who need a safe and supportive environment in which to learn how to cope with life after their loss.

We thank you – and they will, too!

Widowed Person of Employable Age
August 31 - November 9
11 Consecutive Tuesdays, 5-7:45pm
Dawson Memorial, Family Life Center
1114 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL
(a light meal is provided)

Widowed Persons of Retirement Age
August 25 - October 27
10 Consecutive Wednesdays, 10 - 11:30am
Community Grief Support Service Office
1119 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL

Loss of Adult Child
August 23 - November 1 (no meeting September 6)
10 Consecutive Mondays, 6 - 7:30pm
Dawson Memorial, Room 251, North Bldg
1114 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL

Loss of Parent, Grandparent, Sibling
August 5 - October 14 (no meeting September 16)
10 Consecutive Thursdays, 6 - 7:45pm
Dawson Memorial, Room 258 North Building
1114 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL

West End General Loss
August 5 - October 7
10 Consecutive Thursdays, 6 - 7:30pm
Ephesus Sda Academy
829 McMillan Ave SW, Birmingham, AL

North Shelby County General Loss
October 20 - December 22
10 Consecutive Wednesdays, 2 - 3:30pm
First United Methodist Church
10903 HWY 119, Alabaster, AL