The Out of the Darkness walk is an annual fundraiser for AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) and to educate our community on mental health issues.

If you would like to help, please contact this year’s chairperson, Sandi Follette, at 607-936-9077.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS LIFE CHANGING EVENT!

This new group meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm at Victory Highway Wesleyan Church (click for map!). Specifically, the meeting will take place in room #4 at the church. If you have specific questions about the group, you can call for more information: 607-936-9077.

The full schedule for this 10 week program is as follows:

• March 9: Introduction to Grief
• March 16: Grief and How it Affects Every Part of Your Life
• March 23: Focus Your Grief
• March 30: Live in the Present
• April 6: Resolve the Grief
• April 13: Express Your Anger
• April 20: Get Off the Treadmill
• April 27: Set Your Goals and Move Forward
• May 4: Volunteer and Help Others
• May 11: Finding Laughter and Joy Again
• May 18: Make Up Date (and final session for this group)

Please note that this schedule may change without notice. If you have questions, please contact the number listed above!

Meetings will resume as normal next week (March 30).

We apologize for this inconvenience.

Too Many Candles

We would like to thank everyone that was able to join us this past Sunday for the 2010 Holiday Service of Remembrance! It was even bigger than last year. Nearly 350 candles were lit in remembrance of loved ones.

This year’s service included prayers, a message of hope, the lighting of the military candle, and of course the lighting of the memorial candles. There were also multiple musical solos including I Light a Candle for You and If You Could See Me Now. I’ve posted the video for the latter song below!

A big thank you to this year’s sponsors: Phillips Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Carpenter’s Funeral Home LLC, and also to Victory Highway Wesleyan Church.

Thank you again for joining us this year. We hope that you will also be able to join us next year to support those that have lost someone or to seek your own support from others.

Survivors of suicide are those who have lost a loved one to suicide. On this day, people will gather together around the world to find support, encouragement, and empowerment.

Details

Date: November 20, 2010
Time: 10:30am to 3:30pm
Location: North Presbyterian Church
Address: 921 College Ave, Elmira NY

Schedule

10:30am: Free Registration
11:00am: Local Panel of Speakers w/ Q&A
12:30pm: Free Lunch catered by Global Gormet
1:30pm: National Webcast for Survivors of Suicide
3:00pm: Candlelight Remembrance Service
3:30pm: Optional Survivors of Suicide Support Group

To pre-register, please call the Grief Center of the Southern Tier at 607-936-9077 or email to nssday@gmail.com. Walk-ins are welcome but to be guaranteed a free lunch, registrants need to Pre-register by Wednesday November 17th.

If you have lost a loved one and would like to light a candle in remembrance, please join us for this year’s services.

Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 4:00 PM

Victory Highway Wesleyan Church
150 Victory Highway
Painted Post, NY 14870

Please call to reserve your candle.

• Phillips FH: 607-936-9212 or
• Carpenter’s FH: 607-936-9927

Front of Quilt

To go along with this year’s Walk to Prevent Suicide, the Grief Center is also raffling off a handmade quilt made by Sandy Felthousen. Proceeds from the quilt raffle will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Tickets for this year’s quilt raffle will be available from now until September 11, 2010 – the day of the Walk to Prevent Suicide. The quilt is a queen size and you can see the pattern and design to the right (click each thumbnail to see the quilt full size).

Back of Quilt

To purchase raffle tickets send your name, mailing address, and phone number to the Grief Center. Be sure to also include the number of tickets you’d like purchase and your payment – tickets are $5 each, or 5 for $20.

Mail the above info to the Grief Center at this address:

The Grief Center of the Southern Tier
c/o Sandi Follette
4134 Norman Rd
Painted Post, NY 14870

Checks should be made payable to the Grief Center of the Southern Tier.

• A person dies by suicide every 16 minutes in the US
• An attempted suicide is estimated to occur every 1 minute
• More than 33,000 lives are lost each year to suicide
• Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death in the US among 18-65 year olds
• It is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US among teens and young adults
• Individuals over the age of 65 account for 16 percent of all suicide deaths

If that information doesn’t get you thinking, nothing will. Come out and walk with us to help raise money and save lives. Click the read more link below for all of the details!

Here are the details for this year’s Walk to Prevent Suicide.

• Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
• Time: Registration at 9:00am
• Location: Craig Park, Painted Post, NY

You can register today to support a walker or donate online at OutoftheDarkness.org. If you are unable to attend but would like to help, you can also donate by check or money order. Make your check payable to AFSP and be sure to write the walk location (Painted Post, NY) and the participant that you are supporting on the “memo” line. Mail your check to the following address:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall St
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10005

For more info, contact: Sandi Follette at 607-936-9077

If you or someone you know would like to have your loved one as a part of this year’s Memory Quilt, please contract the Grief Center at 607-936-9077,  Phillips Funeral Home at 936-9212 or Carpenters Funeral Home at 936-9927 and a Memory Quilt Packet will be sent to you. ALL quilt squares MUST be completed and returned no later than SEPTEMBER 13, 2010. Read on for details of the Memory Quilt Packet…

Thank you for being apart of this Memory Quilt and for sharing your loved one with others.

Before you begin it is a good idea to sketch out on a piece of paper what you envision your square will look like.

Do not wash the muslin square. Please iron your fabric square before you begin your design.

You will receive a WHITE muslin square that measures 12×12. It is VERY important that you leave at least 1/2 inch around all four sides of the fabric square. This will allow us to sew all of the squares together. If you go right to the edge of the fabric with decorating, that may interfere with the sewing of the squares and we may not be able to include your square in the quilt.

Many choose to honor their loved one by having their picture transferred onto the fabric square and personally enhance it by using a permanent fabric maker to include their loved one’s name, date of birth and angel date. You can get a transfer kit at your local Fabric/Craft Store. You can add anything to your square that reminds you of your loved. Be CREATIVE. These squares WILL NOT BE WASHED so that will help you in creating your square. Cross- stitch, applique, and anything that you create to make your square special.

Handle your square carefully, keeping it flat and protect it from getting soiled.

After you have completed your square, you may drop it off at either Phillips Funeral Home or Carpenters Funeral Home. Please make sure you leave your name, address and phone number with your completed square in case we need to contact you.

Important Reminder: TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2010 MEMORY QUILT, YOUR SQUARE MUST BE COMPLETED AND RETURNED NO LATER THAN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010.

If you have any questions about the 2010 Memory Quilt, please contact the Grief Center.