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November 2016 E-News

NAGC Conference on Children’s Grief
October 12, 2016
Navegar el duelo durante las Fiestas
November 7, 2016

AutumnCan you believe we’re in November already? Before we move forward, we want to thank everyone for such a meaningful and fun Walk’n’Run to Remember last month. It turned out to be a perfect fall day with only a handful of rain drops! We witnessed our largest Walk yet, sharing the day with nearly 300 participants and raising over $47,000! A special thank you goes out to the EF Harris Family Foundation who matched our fundraising teams up to $15,000. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank EVERYONE from the walkers and runners, sponsors and donors, and volunteers and community partners for making the day perfect!

As the end of the year draws near and the pursuit of the holidays begin, we encourage a time of reflection and self-care. November is National Children’s Grief Awareness Month, National Caregiver Month, and home to Veteran’s Day (11), World Kindness Day (13), National Philanthropy Day (15), and of course, Thanksgiving (24). There are many days this month dedicated to slowing down and showing yourself and those around you just how much you care about and are thankful for them.

holding-heartThis month, Kara offers community events in line with the ideas of comfort and care. On November 3rd, for Children’s Grief Awareness Month, we will host a webcast of the NAGC’s Fall Conference & Webcast on Children’s Grief. Our Navigating the Holidays Workshop will be held on November 12, and also on December 3 for our Spanish Services. These workshops are designed for families seeking ways to manage the holidays after the death of a family member. And we continue to offer our drop-in support groups in both our Palo Alto and San Mateo locations for both English and Spanish speaking adults.

Thank you for allowing us to provide compassionate support for our community.

Keep Well,
Jim Santucci, CPA
Executive Director

Kara Spotlight: Candlelight Service of Remembrance

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For our Kara Spotlight this month, we highlight our 22nd annual Candlelight Service of Remembrance. This year, it will take place on Thursday, December 1st at the beautiful Stanford Memorial Church. Co-sponsored by the Stanford Office for Religious Life, we invite our community to join us in this meaningful evening of remembrance where personal sharing on the themes of Love, Hope, Memory, Courage and Community come together with live music and culminate in a special candle lighting ceremony to honor loved ones who have died. This is a non-denominational service and is open to all. An opportunity to support Kara will be presented during the event.

If you’re interested in volunteering for this wonderful event, please email Sarah Dover, Development Specialist at sarah@kara-grief.org. Thank you and hope to see you there!

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Co-Sponsored by  Print

Candlelight Service of Remembrance
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2016
Time: 7:00pm
Place: Stanford Memorial Church

 

 


KARA UPDATES

 

November 3rd – NAGC Conference on Children’s Grief

nagc-conference2Please join us as we serve as a web-conference host for NAGC’s Fall Conference on Children’s Grief focusing on the topic and theme:

Understanding the Impact of Death, Dying,
and Bereavement among Urban Youth Populations

Thursday November 3rd
Location:  Kara Office
Time:  9am – 2pm

Look out for more information in the coming weeks or call us at 650-321-5272.

 

treeholidaysforWebOur workshop is designed for parents & adult children seeking ways to manage the holidays after the death of a family member, and provide a safe space to discover, heal, and find increased awareness of each person’s grief during the holidays.

Saturday, November 12, 2016
457 Kingsley Ave., Palo Alto
10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Suggested Donation: $25.00

Interested in attending or want more information?   Email holidayworkshop16@kara-grief.org by November 7th.

 

Year-End Fund Appeal

year-end-fund-appealTowards the end of the month, we’ll be mailing out our Annual Year-End Fund Appeal letter, and hope you’ll be inspired to invest generously in our important work of serving the grieving. Our peer support model not only provides compassion and care to individuals we serve (without charging a fee), but helps to build a more connected and resilient community. We are able to do so because for 40 years we have been blessed with supporters who really ‘get’ our mission and understand the healing power of peer-based grief support.

This holiday season, by donating to Kara, you can be the difference in making human connection possible for those in grief. Thank you!

 

Drop-In Groups at KaraMeeting Of Support Group

Ongoing drop-in groups are for adults who are grieving any type of death of someone in their lives. No appointment or interview is needed. We offer these at both our Palo Alto and San Mateo offices.

Palo Alto:

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

Evenings (7:00 – 8:30 pm)

2nd and 4th Tuesdays
Afternoons (1:00 – 2:30 pm)

Men’s Group: 4th Tuesday
Evenings (7:00 – 8:30 pm)

En Español
1st and 3rd Tuesdays
Mornings (10:30 am – Noon)

San Mateo:
Thursdays from October 13, 2016 – Jan. 19, 2017
Afternoons (12:00 – 1:30 pm)

En Español
2nd and 4th Wednesdays
Mornings (10:00 am – 12:30 pm)

For more information, visit our calendar or call us at 650-321-5272.

 

Reach Out: International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

huggingwomenInternational Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is November 19, 2016. Survivor Day is a day when those affected by suicide loss gather at events around the world to gain understanding and find comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone. Our partners at CHC are honored to host a Survivor Day gathering:

Saturday, November 19, 2016chc-suvivor-day-16
9:00 a.m. to Noon

Please join with fellow loss survivors in our community for a quiet morning of healing and remembrance. For more information or to register for this event, please visit: http://bit.ly/2dPmVJa

 

Grief Groups for Families: Sudden Loss Groups

new-websiteKara’s Youth and Family program currently has openings in its sudden loss peer support groups for families. Children who have experienced the death of a parent and adults who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner through sudden loss are able to meet twice a month in a safe and supportive environment. Children meet together to process their grief through a range of activities, while parents meet together to share their experiences around their own grief and parenting issues.

An intake is required to join the groups. For more information, please call Kara at 650-321-5272.


PARTNER & ADVOCACY CORNER

A special thank you this month goes out to the E F Harris Family Foundation, Palo Alto University, The Pratt Center, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Children’s Health Council, diptyque, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Tiffany Papageorge for their sponsorship of our 2016 Walk’n’Run to Remember. We also want to thank all of the community organizations who supported the event through in-kind donations and prizes. And finally, we’d also like to thank the Wells Fargo Foundation. All these partnerships and generous gifts make a real difference in the lives of children, families, and adults in our community working with their grief. WE THANK YOU!

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