About The Compassionate Friends
The Compassionate Friends is a national self-help,
mutual assistance organization offering friendship,
understanding, and hope to bereaved parents and
their families. Our twofold mission is to assist
families toward the positive resolution of grief
following the death of a child and to provide
information to help others be supportive.
The Smithville Chapter is one of more than 600
chapters in the United States; the National Office is
in Oak Brook, Illinois. The Compassionate Friends
has no religious affiliation. The chapter has no
employees; leadership roles are filled by member
volunteers who work in honor of their children,
siblings, or grandchildren who have died.
Funding
There are no individual dues or fees of any kind. The
Compassionate Friends depends entirely on voluntary
contributions from individuals, businesses, and
philanthropic community. The Compassionate
Friends is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization; all
donations are tax-exempt.
Meeting Schedule
2nd Wednesday of every month
Good People Church
100 E. Main St., Room 5
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Meetings are open to parents, adult siblings,
and grandparents of children who have died at
any age, from any cause. Other adult family
members are also welcome.
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The Compassionate Friends
Smithville Chapter
P.O. Box 5555
Smithville, AK 55555-5555
(555) 321-1234
www.smithvilletcf.org
TCF National Office, 900 Jorie Blvd. Suite 78,
Oak Brook IL 60523 (877) 969-0010
www.compassionatefriends.org
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The Smithville Chapter of
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A self-help support organization
for families that have experienced
the death of a child,
at any age, from any cause.
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We Need Not Walk Alone ~
We are The Compassionate Friends.
We need not walk alone...
The death of a child of any age, from any
cause, is a shattering experience for a
family. When a child dies, a family needs
emotional support for the long grief journey
that lays ahead.
Since 1992, the Smithville Chapter of
The Compassionate Friends has been
actively helping families toward the positive
resolution of their grief following the death
of a child.
Our Mission
In pursuing our mission of assisting families
toward the positive resolution of their grief
following the death of a child of any age and
providing information to help others be
supportive, The Compassionate Friends
(TCF) touches hundreds of people in the
Smithville community each year.
Monthly Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter announces TCF
activities and includes articles which are
helpful to families grieving the death of a
child. The newsletter includes original
writings by bereaved parents, siblings, and
grandparents
from
throughout
The
Compassionate Friends’ nearly 600-chapter
nationwide “family.” Mailed to all chapter
members and to other interested individuals
free of charge, each issue reaches
approximately 300 households.
Support Group Meetings
Information and Education
Our monthly support group meetings are the
heart of TCF. These gatherings provide a
caring environment in which bereaved
parents, adult siblings, and grandparents can
talk freely about the emotions and
experiences they are going through and
receive the understanding support of others
who have “been there.” Often, members say
that the hope provided through these sharing
sessions has been more helpful than other
types of support in resolving grief within
their family following the death of a child.
Part of our mission is to promote better
understanding of parental and family grief.
Examples of this effort have included:
• Collaborating with other TCF chapters
to hold a grief/healing conference which
was attended by 140 people from
throughout the neighboring areas.
• Providing speakers to medical staff
training programs and lay groups
interested in learning how to be more
supportive of families that have
experienced the death of a child.
• Distributing informational material to
professionals in hospitals, hospices,
funeral homes, and churches, as well as
to other interested individuals.
Lending Library
A lending library of grief-related books,
audiotapes, and videos is available at each
meeting. Members may browse the library
and check out materials for home reading or
viewing between meetings.
Dedicated Telephone Line and
Phone Friends
A dedicated telephone line is maintained by
the Smithville Chapter of The Compassionate Friends. Every year approximately
500 telephone inquiries are received from
bereaved parents, referring agencies and
individuals, or the general public. Some of
these calls are the result of TCF members in
other cities referring bereaved Smithville
friends to us. The chapter also maintains a
list of “phone friends,” members who have
“been there” and can be called at any time a
bereaved parent needs to talk.
Memorial Events
Every spring TCF members gather for a
Family Picnic and Memorial Balloon
Release in Children’s Memorial Park.
During the summer we hold our annual
“Walk to Remember.” We also have an
annual Candlelight Remembrance Program
on the second Sunday of December in
observance of The Compassionate Friend’s
annual Worldwide Candle Lighting. At 7
p.m. in every time zone, candles are lit in
honor of all children who have died,
creating a virtual wave of light encircling
the globe. The public is invited to this
ceremony.