COMMUNITY GRIEF SUPPORT SERVICE

P  R  O  G  R  A M S 

L o c a t i o n
I n f o r m a t i o n:

1119 Oxmoor Road
Homewood, AL 35209
Phone (205) 870-8667
Fax (205) 870-4652











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You can experience the Healing Power of a Support Group!

Join our Summer Support Group Sessions --

I’m Steve Sweatt, Clinical Director at CGSS, As an experienced counselor and one who has also lost family members I cherished, I know how devastating the pain of grief can be. We struggle with our feelings but are reluctant to burden family and friends who are grieving in their own way.

There is something YOU can do for yourself! I encourage you to join one of our free support groups or consider grief counseling.

Our support groups offer a safe haven for healing and support as we companion you on the painful journey through loss. These groups have an amazing power to heal as members share together in a safe, supportive and confidential environment. Volunteers tell about their grief journeys and rekindle hope that we can once again love life.

There is no cost, If you are tired of struggling with your grief alone, help is available. Five support groups will start in the next four weeks. All you have to do is call 870-8667 for an intake interview. Do it today – you’ll be glad you did!

Groups will accept new members through the third meeting of any session.
CGSS provides study materials by recognized grief experts.
Cost: FREE
Call 205.870.8667 for an intake interview.


Summer Session!

West End General Loss Group – Beginning April 29 - June 17 : Jacqueline Kelley leads this eight-week group. All bereaved adults are welcome, regardless of the loss they have experienced. Meets 8 consecutive Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. at Ephesus SDA Academy, 829 McMillan Avenue SW. Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

Widowed Persons of Employable Age – Beginning May 4 - July 13: John Harris facilitates this 11-week group. Losing a spouse changes your identity forever. “Who am I now?” is a question each must face. Find understanding and compassion with others who share the grief journey. Meets 8 consecutive Thursdays from 5-7:45 p.m. at South Highland Presbyterian Church, 2035 Highland Avenue South in Birmingham. A light meal is provided. Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

Widowed Persons of Retirement Age – Beginning May 5 - June 23 : Steve Sweatt leads this eight-week session for retired widowed. Meets 8 consecutive Thursdays from 10-11:30 a.m. at the CGSS office, 1119 Oxmoor Road in Homewood, Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

Loss of Parent, Grandparent or Sibling Group -- Beginning May 6 - June 24 : Neal Schooley facilitates an eight-week support group for those who struggle with grief following the death of a parent, grandparent or sibling. Meets 8 consecutive Thursdays from 6-7:45 p.m. at the CGSS office, 1119 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

Loss of an Adult Child – Beginning May 17 - July 5: Steve Sweatt facilitates this eight-week group for couples and single parents who have experienced the loss no one expects to face - the death of an adult child. Meets 8 consecutive Mondays from 6-7:30 p.m. at the CGSS office, 1119 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

North Shelby General Loss Group – Beginning June 30 - August 18 :Steve Sweatt will lead this eight-week group. All bereaved adults are welcome, regardless of the loss they have experienced. Meets 8 consecutive Wednesdays from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Bridal Room at the First United Methodist Church, 10903 Highway 119 in Alabaster. Call 870-8667 for an intake interview.

The Fall session of support groups will begin on August 4.


Lost a loved one or know someone who is struggling with grief resulting from a death?

Community Grief Support Service is a non-profit corporation organized for the purpose of providing compassionate counseling, education, and support for bereaved persons in the Greater Birmingham Metropolitan Area.

Community Grief Support Service helps people to rebuild their shattered lives following the death of a loved one. Grieving people face a real choice between hope and despair. Come to CGSS and choose hope!


Our newsletter, SecondWind, provides encouraging articles for the bereaved and news of the organization. View our current issue of SecondWind.


GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

Grief support groups provide bereaved people with a safe haven in which to share information and support while they learn coping skills for working through their grief. In 2009, CGSS conducted 16 support groups. Groups typically meet for 8-11 weeks each spring, summer and fall. The sessions are curriculum-based and new members are accepted only through the third meeting, so that the cohesive quality of group support is not disturbed.

All groups are conducted by professional counselors trained in bereavement, who use educational materials prepared by experts in the field of grief and loss. They are assisted by volunteers who have been through a grief support group and a volunteer training class. These volunteers give hope and encouragement to those who are just beginning their grief journeys.

For information on specific support groups or to schedule an intake interview, please call 205.870.8667.

The Mission of Community Grief Support Service (CGSS) is to enhance the quality of life for bereaved adults who face the challenges of rebuilding their lives without their loved ones, through free grief support groups, grief education and grief counseling.

  • All CGSS services are provided free.
  • CGSS is respectful and supportive of persons of all faith groups, as well as persons who are related to no faith group, who desire grief support. We recognize the value of faith or core beliefs in dealing with loss.
  • CGSS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization addressing a critical community need in the area of health and human services.
  • CGSS programs are funded by grants and donations from foundations, businesses, faith-based organizations and caring individuals.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

Professional pastoral and licensed counselors are available to help adults with issues related to the loss of a loved one. Call (205) 870-8667 for an appointment. There is no fee for this service.

FRIENDSHIP GROUPS

To aid in the transition from bereavement to re-socialization and new beginnings following the support group period, we sponsor friendship groups. These groups are informal gatherings of persons who have been members of a support group, and wish to continue the friendships they have made, and the support and sharing so needed during the transition time.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Grief impacts individuals. It also impacts families and friends, faith communities, businesses and organizations in which grieving persons participate. Community Education Programs increase understanding about the total impact of grief and offers valuable information about how to help individuals through the grief process. The CGSS “Grief-in-the-Workplace” program offers crisis intervention and grief education to area businesses, including our “Lunch-and-Learn” seminars. For more information, call 205.870.8667.

HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

“Hope for the Holidays” workshops are sponsored each fall to help those facing their first holiday season without a loved one. The workshops are co-sponsored by Ridout's Funeral Service and provided free of charge, as a public service to the Greater Birmingham community.

SecondWind

Our newsletter, SecondWind, provides encouraging articles for the bereaved and news of the organization. Call 870-8667 to receive your free subscription by mail. View our current issue of SecondWind.

SecondWind - Autumn 2009
SecondWind - Spring 2009

SecondWind - Winter 2008

SecondWind - Summer 2008


 



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