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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.
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All CGSS services are provided free.
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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.
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CGSS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization addressing
a critical community need in the area of health and
human services.
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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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