In this issue:

Grief Support Meeting in East Palo Alto on April 19th
New Grief Support Group for Spouses and Partners
Volunteer Spotlight: Bud Silver, Adult Counselor and Group Facilitator
Annual Conference Moved to September

Grief Support Meeting in East Palo Alto on April 19th Kara would like to offer a regular Drop-in Grief Support group at the Ecumenical Hunger Program campus in East Palo Alto. We will be hosting an initial meeting at EHP on Monday, April 19th at 4PM to gauge interest and give information. If you have experienced a recent death and would like to learn about the grieving process and talk about what helps you get through it, we invite you to attend. EHP is located at 2411 Pulgas Ave, East Palo Alto. If you have questions about the group, please send an email to info@kara-grief.org. For a map to EHP, click here.

New Grief Support Group for Spouses and Partners Kara will be offering a support group for those who are grieving the death of a spouse or partner. The group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month beginning on May 17th and lasting for 10 sessions. The meetings will take place from noon to 1:30pm at the Kara offices at 457 Kingsley Ave, Palo Alto. An initial interview is required before joining the group. If you are interested in participating, please call the office at (650) 321-5272.

Volunteer Spotlight: Bud Silver, Adult Counselor and Group Facilitator As a former client and long-time Kara volunteer, Bud Silver demonstrates that grief is a journey and when you begin, you don’t necessarily know where it will lead you. ”In 1996 my wife died from breast cancer and I was devastated by the loss,” said Bud. He began participating in a drop-in group at Kara and then began to meet one-to-one with peer counseling volunteer Ed Garwin and later, with volunteer Paul Reasenberg. “Working with Ed and Paul was such a profound experience that after I closed as a client, I wanted more of that kind of interaction,” said Bud. His experience inspired him to volunteer, helping others on their grief journey. “Grief is complex, and I wasn’t through with it, at least not as an exploration.” Today, Bud has been a volunteer for over nine years, serving as both a Peer Counselor and a Group Facilitator, including facilitating the Men’s group. He also fills in as a facilitator in the drop-in, Suicide Survivor’s and Parents Grieving the Death of an Adult Child groups when he’s needed. Ed Cirimele speaks appreciatively of the support that he got from Bud after the death of his wife. ”He was a great listener. He knew how to ask questions in a way that really encouraged me to talk, and he could help me put things in perspective. Bud sometimes shared his own experiences, and he always felt very genuine.” For Bud, helping clients find their way through grief so that they feel ready to progress to the next phase of their lives is a continuation of his own healing process. Bud described the journey in this way, “We all lose loved ones; it’s an inevitable and universal experience. And the grief of losing them doesn’t go away, it just takes on a different coloration.” Bud also appreciates being part of the community of Kara volunteers. The level of connection that the volunteers feel for each other and for their clients creates a sense of community that is nourishing and nurturing. “I never would have imagined when I first began all of this how much volunteering at Kara would round out my life experience. It is a unifying experience and a rewarding one. It has provided profound insight into life.” Thank you Bud for all of your years of service helping others through their grief. For more information on volunteering at Kara, click here.

Annual "Good Grief" Conference Moved to September 24 Kara is combining its spring and fall conferences into one annual conference, to be held in September. The theme this year is “Good Grief: Healing after Trauma and Loss” and the date is Friday, September 24. The keynote speaker will be Joanne Cacciatore, PhD, MSW, from Arizona State University (pictured on right). She is the founder of the Center for Loss and Trauma and of the Miss Foundation, which provides support to grieving families. Attendees will also hear from Matthew Cordova, PhD and Josef Ruzek, PhD, co-founders of the Early Intervention Clinic, which does research and offers treatment related to traumatic loss. Workshop speakers include John Ruark, MD, speaking on Compassion Fatigue, and Carlos Aguila, Clinical Director, EMQ/Families First. There will also be a panel discussion of how the Palo Alto community came together to respond to recent teen suicides. Brochures with conference details will be mailed in early July. For more information, email info@kara-grief.org, or call the office at (650) 321-5272.

Contact Us

457 Kingsley Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-321-5272

Office hours are M-Th 9AM to 4PM, Fr 9AM to 1PM Pacific time.
Here is a map to our office.

Kara is the Gothic root of the word "care."
It means to reach out, to care, to lament, to grieve with.