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Empty Arms Western Massachusetts (34)

Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/22/2012
22:00
May Meetings
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The May meetings are as follows:
Miscarriage Support Group: Wednesday May 9, Conference Room D, 7 pm.
Subsequent Choices Group: Monday, May 7, please contact Carol for place/time.
Regular Bereavement Meeting: May 23, Conference Room D, 7 pm.
Parenting after Loss: Sunday, May 20, in the morning. Contact Erika, ehenyey@gmail.com for time/place.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/08/2012
19:08
Softball Tournament
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

It's also time to think about this year's annual one-pitch softball tournament in memory of Addison Eva Monska, daughter of John and Jean. This year's tournament will be on Saturday, June 2nd, beginning at 8:30 AM. Teams must have at least four women. For more information, please contact Jean at AEMMST@gmail.com

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/03/2012
12:32
MOTHER'S DAY WALK
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Mother’s Day Walk: It’s that time again! Our Memorial Walk and Picnic will take place in Look Park on Saturday, May 12. We gather at 11:00 AM at the Duck Brook Shelter and take a walk together with t-shirts and balloons at about 11:30. When we arrive back at the shelter we invite you to bring a picnic and stay for lunch.
Remember to encourage your friends and family to come out and participate in this special day. We give people the opportunity to learn more about Empty Arms and how our work benefits the families of the Pioneer Valley. We also give people the opportunity to give a donation to help us to continue our important work with bereaved families. Most importantly this day is a chance for all of us to be together and to show the world that we still remember the babies who are no longer in our arms. Families who have participated in the past always agree that the day is one of friendship and solidarity.
If you would like T-shirts with your baby/ies name(s) please email Carol at carolmcmurrich@comcast.net and I will send you a form.
The t-shirts are blue, as they were in the past two years, so if you already have one, wear it!

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 03/04/2012
20:09
March/April Announcements
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Here is the latest Share newsletter. It has an emphasis on taking care of yourself. Absolutely a worthwhile read.
Meetings in March are as follows:
Miscarriage Support Group: Wednesday March 14th and April 11th, Conference Room D, 7 pm.
Subsequent Choices Group: Monday, March 12th and April 9th, please contact Carol for place/time.
Regular Bereavement Meeting: March 28th and April 25th, Conference Room D, 7 pm.
Parenting after Loss: Second Sundays in the morning, contact Erika, ehenyey@gmail.com for information.

On March 22nd the Empty Arms board will be holding our annual meeting. While only the board will be actively involved in discussion and decision making, any Empty Arms group participants are welcome to attend the meeting if you are curious to know what kinds of things go on "behind the scenes" of our organization. Please contact Carol if you are interested.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 01/21/2012
10:49
January/February Announcements
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The snow is falling and winter is truly upon us. Somehow the snow can seem to brighten the darkness of this season, but winter is a long, cold season in New England and can make life seem even more difficult for those who are grieving. Please mark your calendars for our meetings for the next two months:
Regular Bereavement Meetings: January 25th and February 22nd, 7-9 PM, Conference Room D. . Open to all, no RSVP required.
Subsequent Choices Meeting: February 8th, CBC conference Room, 7:30 PM (please let me know if you plan to attend this one)
Parenting After Loss meeting: Erika will post on our Facebook site. Please let her know if you would like to attend (ehenyey@gmail.com) and she will email you with time/date notifications. This is generally on a Sunday morning and meets in a home environment.
And... I am very glad to announce that we have a new, fourth meeting.
Miscarriage Support Group will be meeting on Wednesday, February 8th from 7-9 PM in Conference Room D.
While folks who have had losses earlier in pregnancy have been-- and still are-- welcome at the regular bereavement meeting, over the years we've realized a true need for a meeting specific to this type of pregnancy loss. We have a wonderful new MotherWoman trained facilitator, Kelly Coffey, who suffered two miscarriages herself and is taking the reigns to start this new group. We welcome you to come if this is your experience, and we also encourage you to PLEASE let your friends and neighbors know about this new Empty Arms group.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 12/01/2011
14:52
DECEMBER MEETINGS
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Subsequent Choices: Wed. December 14th, e-mail Carol for details (carolmcmurrich@comcast.net) . Parenting After Loss-- Sunday, December 11, 10-12 AM, email Erika for details (ehenyey@gmail.com) Regular Bereavement meeting-- Wednesday, December 21, CDH conf. room D, 7 PM.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 11/11/2011
20:32
Newsletter
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Here is the link to the November/December Share Newsletter. Hope to see you on the 30th.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 10/27/2011
12:52
A few announcements
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The meeting dates for November and December are NOT on the 4th Wednesday, because of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will hold the November meeting on the 30th of November which is the 5th and last Wednesday of the month. Then the December one will be held a week early on the 21st of December, which is the third Wednesday. Please mark your calendars for those dates.
Next week, Dee Ledger's church, the Southampton Congregational Church, will be holding a service on Nov. 1st at 7 PM for All Saints Day to remember all those who have died in the previous year. It is open to all, and she invites anybody who would like to participate in this service to come.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 10/04/2011
21:44
October 15th
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

As many of you may know, October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance day. On this day, we are asked to light a candle from 7-8 PM, thus participating in the worldwide wave of light that will travel across the globe as people everywhere take time to remember the precious lives they had hoped to share. This year, we at Empty Arms thought we would hold a vigil together at the Angel of Hope Statue in Easthampton. Our plan is to meet there just before 7 PM and light the candles together for the hour. This would be a family event so siblings and other interested family members would be invited. Please send me an e-mail if this sounds interesting to you (carolmcmurrich@comcast.net). We welcome some ideas of what you could envision doing during the one hour vigil-- a poem to read, sharing names, stories, a song? I would like to have a general idea of who thinks they might be interested in attending by the 10th of October so that I can think about the program for that evening as well as determining whether it will be possible to have another venue in the case of rain. Thanks!Carol

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 09/06/2011
13:29
Nicky D's Race
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

And a reminder to mark your calendar for the Nicky D's race... we are so fortunate to have somebody willing to do this for us!

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13:23
Fall is upon us.... here is ...
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Fall is upon us.... here is the link to the September/October Sharing Newsletter from our national organization, Share.
Each fall, I always like to send out a little all-call encouraging people to consider attending meetings, even if you haven't in a while. Sometimes September, even if we aren't involved in an academic setting anymore, can feel like a time of new beginnings. Coming to support meetings gives you a little breathing room to spend time working through your loss, and every presence in the room also provides support for somebody else.
On the topic of coming to meetings, I should address that it is my current intention to resume my cherished role as lead facilitator for the October meeting. Originally I had been hoping to return in August, but as the weeks led up to that meeting it became readily apparent that neither our new baby nor I were prepared for that time apart. I am hoping that by October things will be more predictable allowing me to leave for the three hours necessary to lead a meeting. I look forward to coming back and meeting the new families and to having my own time to be Charlotte's mother.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/22/2011
14:40
Fall 5k will Benefit Empty Arms: Thanks Nicky D's!
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The Empty Arms Group has had an amazing offer. Each fall, Nicky D's, a car dealer in Easthampton, holds a 5K run/walk to benefit a local charity. When Jean Monska's mom, Linda, was asking people for donations for the Addison Eva Monska Softball Tournament, she approached Betty Duprey at Nicky D's. Betty surprised her by saying that, rather than make a small donation to the tournament, she would consider giving the proceeds from this fall's race to Empty Arms.

After reading more about our organization, Betty decided for certain that we will be the beneficiary of their fundraiser this fall! We couldn't be luckier than to have this local business choose us to receive the benefits of their event, which will be held the morning of September 18 in Nonotuck Park.

Now our job is to recruit people to participate. The cost to enter is just $15 and everyone who runs or walks will get a free T-shirt. All ages are invited, and it should be a wonderful way to spend a fall morning with friends and family. To sign up, download an entry form here. There's also a link to the form on the sidebar of this page and on our Facebook page. We encourage you to please share these links with friends, family, and your Facebook crowd. Please help us to make this opportunity a huge success for everyone!

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/19/2011
20:55
Parenting After Loss
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Erika will be offering her monthly Parenting After Loss meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday, July 20th. Please contact her at ehenyey@gmail.com if you are interested in attending.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/08/2011
19:58
Summer Bereavement Meetings
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

There will be two changes to our summer meetings.
The July meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, July 27th at 7 PM in Conference Room D, will be facilitated by Karen Bayne. Karen is a good friend of mine who has been involved in Empty Arms "behind the scenes". She has suffered two losses herself, and is a trained MotherWoman facilitator. Karen is very happy to be able to provide her presence at our meeting and I know you'll enjoy her presence at the meeting. Karen is also the sister of our own Jenni Haley, whom many of you already know.
In August, I will be changing the date of the meeting to the fifth Wednesday of the month, August 31st. Please mark this change on your calendar. I am making this change because we will still be on vacation until the 4th Wednesday.
I will be looking for a volunteer who would be willing to come to CDH on the 4th Wednesday from 6:45-7:15 PM to be in Conference Room D just in case somebody shows up to the meeting who has not seen this bulletin. It is rare that somebody attends who has not contacted me first or been to our website, but I would never want somebody to show up and find nobody there. The role of the person waiting in the room would simply be to introduce him/herself, explain that this month's meeting has been postponed, have a short conversation and then depart. If you are available and/or willing to do this, please let me know as soon as you can.

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19:57
Subsequent Choices Meeting this Wednesday
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

This Wednesday, the 13th of July, we will hold our Subsequent Choices meeting from 7-8:30 PM in the Childbirth Center Conference Room. Please contact me ASAP via e-mail (carolmcmurrich@comcast.net) if you plan to attend. Sometimes in the summer months attendance is slim and we either postpone, cancel, or create an alternate plan. So definitely RSVP if you plan to come!

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/07/2011
09:16
July/August Sharing Newsletter
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Here is the link to this month's newsletter. The topic is parenting after loss, which is clearly not pertinent to everyone, but offers food for thought in any case.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/05/2011
17:48
Here is the link to the ...
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Here is the link to the video that Cooley Dickinson Hospital made which played at the New England Association Directors Healthcare Volunteer Services conference on May 20th. Apparently there was "not a dry eye in the house". I thought some of you might be interested in viewing it.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 07/03/2011
20:10
Round two....
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts
Jean's tournament was cancelled due to rain last time around... so now you've got another chance to get a team together or just go and hang out and enjoy the fun...

Please join us for the 3^rd annual Addison Eva Monska Memorial One-Pitch Softball Tournament
to benefit the Empty Arms Support Group.

When: Saturday, July 30, 2011.
Registration begins Saturday at 8:00 am. Games start at 8:30 am.

Where: Nonotuck Park, Easthampton

Who: Teams of 10 with at least 4 female players.
Adults & kids 16+ welcome.

Entrance Fee: $150/team | Prizes: 1^st and 2^nd place trophies

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the work of Empty Arms Bereavement Support. Empty Arms provides support meetings at Cooley Dickinson Hospital for parents who have lost a child/children during pregnancy, birth, or early infancy. They also use donations to purchase books for grieving parents and to send medical professionals to trainings on how to provide better, more compassionate care for parents who lose a child.

To register your team for the tournament, or if you would like more information, please contact Jean Monska by Saturday July 16th.

Addison Eva Monska Memorial Softball Tournament

c/o Jean Monska

788 Ryan Road

Florence, MA 01062

Phone: 413-563-2165

Email: jeanmonska@verizon.net

You can show your support even if you don’t play softball:
- Donate food or drinks to be sold at the tournament.
- Make a monetary gift – donations will be accepted during the tournament.
- Invite your friends and family to participate in this special day.
***Food and cold drinks will be for sale during the tournament. ***

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 06/06/2011
21:33
Subsequent Choices Meeting this Wednesday
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

This Wednesday we will hold our Subsequent Choices meeting in the Childbirth Center Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson. We will meet from 7-9 PM. This meeting is open to anyone wanting to delve into the conversation of pregnancy or adoption after loss-- those who are currently expanding their families as well as those just considering the prospect. Please RSVP to Carol at carolmcmurrich@comcast.net if you plan to attend so we can have a sense of who will be there. This month's meeting will be facilitated by Erika Parker.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 05/16/2011
14:01
Remembering Addison & Supporting Empty Arms
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Please join us for the 3rd annual Addison Eva Monska Memorial One-Pitch Softball. This fundraiser has been organized by Addison's parents to honor her memory and to support other families who have lost a beloved baby.

When: Saturday, June 11 & Sunday, June 12, 2011. Registration begins Saturday at 8:30am. Games start at 9am.
Where: Nonotuck Park, Easthampton
Who: Teams of 10 with at least 4 female players. Adults & kids 16+ welcome.
Entrance Fee: $150/team
Prizes: 1st and 2nd place trophies

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the work of Empty Arms Bereavement Support. To register your team for the tournament, or if you would like more information, please contact Jean Monska by Saturday May 14th. (Note: EXTENDED to MAY 28th.):

Addison Eva Monska Memorial Softball Tournament
c/o Jean Monska
788 Ryan Road
Florence, MA 01062
Phone: 413-563-2165
Email: jeanmonska@verizon.net

You can show your support even if you don’t play softball:
• Donate food or drinks to be sold at the tournament.
• Make a monetary gift – donations to Empty Arms Bereavement Support will be accepted during the tournament.
• Invite your friends and family to participate in this special day.
• Download a flyer and help spread the word: click here!

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 05/10/2011
20:08
Our Award
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

It is my pleasure and pride to announce that Empty Arms has won an award. Our program was nominated for and selected to win the President's Award for Outstanding Program Development from the New England Association Directors Healthcare Volunteer Services (whew!). The award seeks to recognize programs that go above and beyond to fill spaces of great need within hospitals and communities. There will be an awards ceremony in Providence, Rhode Island on the 25th of May, and while I will be unable to attend the ceremony they have made a short film of me talking about our program which will be shown during the presentation.
I am so passionate about this program, and I am so proud that we have been awarded this honor. Extra thanks go out to Jenn Joyner who wrote a beautiful letter of support touting the work that Empty Arms has done in the Childbirth Center at Cooley Dickinson.
Yay, all of us... I'm glad we have each other.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 05/04/2011
08:19
Children in Our Hearts Walk This Saturday
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Our Memorial Walk is this Saturday, May 7. We will meet at the Duck Brook Shelter in Look Park. Registration starts at 11am, and the walk begins at 11:30am, to be followed by a picnic lunch. Your friends, family, and supporters are all invited to walk with us--we are looking forward to a great turnout and community time together! Please follow this link for all the details.

* * * *

Quick events update for rest of May:

Wednesday, May 11 - Our monthly Subsequent Choices group meets. Please contact Carol for time and location (carolmcmurrich@comcast.net).

Saturday, May 14 - Pre-registration deadline for the Third Annual Addison Eva Monska One-Pitch Softball Tournament. Contact Jean (jeanmonska@verizon.net).

Wednesday, May 18 - Our Parenting After Loss group begins! 6pm-8pm at Forbes Library, Northampton. RSVP to Erika (ehenyey@gmail.com).

Wednesday, May 25 - Our regular bereavement support group meets.7pm-9pm at Cooley Dickinson, Conference Room D.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/28/2011
21:03
Share Newsletter
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Here you will find the link to this month's Share newsletter- Sharing and Caring. The topic is Mother's Day and Father's Day.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/07/2011
19:35
April Subsequent Choices Meeting
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The April Subsequent Choices meeting will be held one night EARLY this month on Tuesday, April 12th. If you are interested in coming please contact Carol at carolmcmurrich@comcast.net for time and location. Any bereaved parents who are considering the possibility of adding another baby to their family, as well as those who are well along in this process, are welcome to attend.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 04/03/2011
21:13
Our Busy Springtime
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

It may still be snowing here and there, but Empty Arms is already having a busy and exciting spring. Carol recently sent out an email about the Empty Arms Walk and some new developments for the organization. Here’s a quick update on everything that’s coming up:

Remembering Together Bouquet Swap: One of our members, Jenni Haley, is hosting a craft swap as a way for mothers in the loss community to support one another on Mother’s Day. Although this project is not specific to our community—people from all over are taking part—we want to make sure you have the chance to participate. Plenty of details are on the website, and the deadline to sign up is next Sunday (April 10).

Children in Our Hearts Mother’s Day Walk: It’s that time again! Our Memorial Walk and Picnic will take place in Look Park on Saturday, May 7. Remember to share our flyer and encourage your friends and family to come out and participate in this special day. Please read this page for all the details. Most importantly, if you would like T-shirts with your baby/ies name(s), they must be ordered by April 15. Click here to download the order form.

Parenting After Loss Group: The most immediate way in which our organization is growing is that we are starting a third support group. We hope this group will provide needed support to those facing both the joys and challenges of parenting the sibling(s) of a lost baby. Please click here for a full description of the group. Our first meeting is May 18.

Third Annual Addison Eva Monska One-Pitch Softball Tournament: We’re so grateful to Jean Monska for once again holding this fundraiser to benefit Empty Arms and to honor her daughter. The tournament will take place on June 11 & 12 in Nonotuck Park. Please share the flyer with your community. If your team would like to register, please contact Jean (jeanmonska@verizon.net) by May 14.

In addition to all this, Empty Arms is in the process of expanding its umbrella and developing its own status as a non-profit organization. Through Empty Arms Bereavement Support we will continue our work at CDH, including the support groups, while also reaching out other hospitals in the Valley, providing more resources and creating more groups for families. We look forward to sharing more with you about our expanding work at the Walk & Picnic on May 7, so please join us and we’ll see you there.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 03/21/2011
11:16
Regular Bereavement Meeting this Wednesday at Cooley Dickinson
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Hi everyone. Just a reminder that our regular bereavement meeting is happening this Wednesday, the 23rd, from 7-9pm at CDH, in Conference Room D. Greg will be facilitating. No RSVP needed. Looking forward to spending some time together.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 03/07/2011
13:12
Subsequent Choices Meets This Week
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Our next Subsequent Choices meeting is this Wednesday evening, 3/9. This meeting provides support to families considering a new pregnancy - or growing their families through other means - as well as to those who are already pregnant. If you would like to attend, please contact Carol to RSVP and for the time/location.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 03/03/2011
20:21
Sharing Newsletter
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Share has just published the March/April Newsletter, which you can read here. The topic is Children's Wisdom. Articles touch on the grief of children born both before and after a baby has died in their family. The first article was authored by me, Carol, and is a reprint of something I had published in Exhale Magazine some years ago.

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16:00
A Conversation About Loss
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

The New York Times has just published an insightful and touching interview with Joyce Carol Oates and Meghan O'Rourke about their recently published memoirs of grief. Oates has written about the death of her husband, and O'Rourke about the death of her mother, yet both very beautifully describe the complexities of grief that most of us will find familiar. If you have some time, it is worth reading: Why We Write About Grief.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 02/23/2011
09:28
Empty Arms Group Meeting Tonight
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Our regular Empty Arms bereavement meeting is tonight from 7-9pm, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Conference Room D. No RSVP necessary. We will there, and hope you can join us.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 02/14/2011
13:30
Reminder: Potential Extra Bereavement Meeting this Wednesday
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Hi everyone. Please remember that we are offering an additional bereavement meeting this Wednesday, 2/16. The location is still to be determined and will depend on the number of people who want to attend. If you are planning to attend this meeting, please RSVP to Carol as soon as you can, and she will let you know the location. If no one RSVPs, we won't go ahead with the meeting. Our regular bereavement meeting will still be held the last Wednesday of this month. Thank you!

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 02/02/2011
16:42
Changes in February
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

Hello Friends,

At the January meeting, I made the announcement that this spring I will be taking a brief leave as the lead facilitator of the regular bereavement group. Greg, my husband, along with a few seasoned female group members, will be taking the lead during my absence. The reason for my departure is that our family is expecting another baby this spring. I do not facilitate the regular bereavement meetings when I am visibly pregnant, as this would be too difficult for many of the group members. I realize this announcement in itself may be difficult for some, and for this I am sorry.

My heart is truly invested in this program, and it is very difficult for me to take this time away from meetings. I want to offer myself wholly as a telephone and e-mail contact during my leave, as it is my desire to remain as closely linked to everyone as they feel comfortable. My plan is to return as the lead facilitator for the August meeting.

For the month of February, there will be TWO regular bereavement meetings offered. The first will be held a week early, on the 16th of February, and this meeting will be my last as facilitator. If you plan to attend this special meeting, which would require that you feel comfortable in my presence, please e-mail me at carolmcmurrich@comcast.net. There will also be a second regular bereavement meeting on the usual night, which is the 23rd of February. This meeting will be facilitated by Erika Parker, as our family will be out of town. You are welcome to attend both meetings.

The Subsequent Choices meeting will run as usual, and should you be interested in attending, please contact me.
Thank you for your understanding, and know that I hold every one of you in my heart during my absence.

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 01/25/2011
20:10
Meeting Reminder and an Important Way to Make Your Voice Heard
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

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First, a quick reminder: tomorrow, Wednesday the 26th, is our regular January Empty Arms group meeting. There might be weather: if we have to postpone the meeting (hopefully not!), we will announce it here and on Facebook.

Next, we want to pass on this information that was sent to us by the national Share office. They are asking families to consider supporting the “The Farley-Kluger Amendment to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)”. This amendment was created by Kelly Farley (of GrievingDads.com), along with a fellow bereaved father, to bring attention to the fact that the current FMLA doesn't extend benefits to employees that have experienced the death of a child. Many employers allow for bereavement leave up to 2-3 days, and employees are expected to use their available vacation time after the bereavement days have been expended. If the employee still requires additional time off, the employer has grounds to terminate the employee.

As we know all too well, the death of a child merits more than a few days of recovery, and parents should not have to feel that their employment is in jeopardy on top of everything else. The Farley-Kluger amendment proposes to include the death of a child as a protected reason to qualify for the benefits (12 weeks of unpaid leave) that are set forth in the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. If you would like to express your support for this amendment, please sign the petition below and consider passing on the link to people you know.

Petition to Support the Farley-Kluger Amendment to the FMLA:
http://www.petition2congress.com/3937/modify-family-medical-leave-act-1993/

If you would like more information about Kelly Farley, you can find him at:
The Grieving Dads Project
(630) 561-5989
E-Mail: Kelly@GrievingDads.com
Website: www.GrievingDads.com
Blog: www.GrievingDads.wordpress.com
Facebook: "GrievingDads.com Project"
Twitter: Twitter.com/GrievingDads

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Massachusetts blogs (US-MA), 11/08/2010
10:20
Holiday Ornament Swap for Grieving Parents
» Empty Arms Western Massachusetts

One of our local parents, Jenni Haley, is hosting a Holiday Ornament Swap as a way for families who are grieving losses to support one another during what is often a tough time of year. If you sign up, you will receive an ornament with your baby's name on it, and you will make and send one ornament for another grieving family. (It is a "secret Santa" style swap.)

The swap is non-denominational. (It's not just for those who celebrate Christmas, all are welcome!) Non-crafters are welcome, too--simple ornaments are fine. All the details and an easy sign-up form are at the website, Remembering Together Holiday Ornament Swap. The deadline to sign up is Monday, November 15.

This is not just a local swap--people from all over are signing up--but it's a nice project, and I wanted to make sure that those of you in our community know about it. Most of us could use some extra support as the holidays approach. If you have any questions about the swap, you can contact Jenni through the Remembering Together website.

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Empty Arms Western Massachusetts (34)