Mission
The Compassionate Friends is a mutual assistance, self-help organization offering friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved families. The primary purpose is to assist them in positive resolution of the grief experienced upon the death of a child and to support their efforts to achieve physical and emotional health. The secondary purpose is to provide information and to educate about bereaved families. The objective is to help those in their community, including family, friends, employers, and co-workers to be supportive.Vision
The vision of The Compassionate Friends is that everyone who needs us will find us and everyone who finds us will be helped.Steering Committee
Chapter Leaders | Erin Koepp & Lorie Haacke |
First Contact | (Open) |
Treasurer | Erin Koepp |
Chapter Advisor | Arlene Priest |
Newsletter Editor | Nadine Boyd |
Librarian | Carol Newman |
Activities Coordinator | (Open) |
Outreach | Peggy Mills |
Men's Support | Pat Mills |
Care Notes | Kay Rosssow & Char Kenney |
Why Butterflies?
Since early times, the butterfly has symbolized renewed life. The caterpillar signifies life here on earth; the cocoon, death; and the butterfly, the emergence of the dead into a new, beautiful and freer existence. Frequently, the butterfly is seen with the word “Nika”, which means victory. Elisabeth Kûbler-Ross movingly tells of seeing butterflies drawn all over the walls of the children’s dormitories in the World War II concentration camps. Since Elisabeth believes in the innate intuitiveness of children, she concludes that these children knew their fate and were leaving us a message. Many members of The Compassionate Friends embrace the butterfly symbol—a sign of hope to them that their children are living in another dimension with greater beauty and freedom—a comforting thought to many.The Secret of TCF
The secret of The Compassionate Friends' success is simple: There is no line between being a helper and being helped. In the early months of peoples' membership in TCF, it seems that most of the time is spent absorbing ideas, crying and letting the grief flow, and "learning the ropes" of being a bereaved parent. The next step is reaching out to others and helping them. It is not a big step, for listening to another person sort out his life helps us to sort out our lives, too. But it is an important step because it is the first point at which the movement is reversed. All the energy had been going inward. We had been feeling so empty inside that we kept withdrawing into ourselves. But at that point when we turn around is the point when we first listen to another, speak the words of comfort and hope, share out pain instead of just feeling our pain. At that time the real healing has started.The Compassionate Friends Credo
We need not walk alone. We are The Compassionate Friends.Siblings Walking Together
(Formerly The Sibling Credo)