To read our most recent newsletter, please click here.
To view our most recent newsletter for caregivers, click here.
Social Security Benefits
When someone dies, one of the agencies that must be notified is Social Security. We will notify them which initiates a one-time payment of $255 for those who are eligible; however if other benefits are available, you will need to apply for them. Some of this can be done over the phone or online with this information: 1-800-772-1213 from 7am-7pm weekdays
or www.ssa.gov/pubs/10008.html
Local Support Groups
Grief Support Group
7-8:30pm Thursdays at First Baptist Church, 52 E. 8th St., Wyoming
contact Pastor Jeffrey Klansek, 552-1391 or 552-4181
non-denominational; elements of spirituality are discussed
a new topic will be presented each week.
Bereavement Support Group
2nd Tuesday of the month 4:30-5:30pm
4th Sunday of the month2-3pm
Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Center for Education
340 Montage Mountain Road, Moosic
for more information, call 706-2400
Suicide Bereavement Support Group
sponsored by Catholic Social Services
33 East Northampton Street, Wilkes-Barre
1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 7-8:30pm
Denise Rowinski 570-822-7118 ext.307
The Compassionate Friends www.compassionatefriends.org
for parents who've lost a child of any age
Heather Highlands Community Center
609 S Main St, Port Griffith, PA 18640
2nd Thursday of each month at 7pm
570-561-9621 or 570-654-1032
Parents of Murdered Children
Northeastern PA Chapter
7:30pm on the last Tuesday of each month
The nearest chapter is about 2 hours away in Norwood, PA; however if you
need someone to talk to,you can reach their officers at 610-324-7378.
Their website also has bereavement resources to help you.
www.pomdelco.com and www.pomc.com
Pet Loss Support Group
Luzerne County SPCA
Fox Hill Rd., Wilkes-Barre, PA, (570) 822-9023
Lorraine Smith, MS, NCC
Online Grief Support
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of online grief information and support. Listed below are only a few that you might find helpful.
www.compassionatefriends.org For parents who have lost a child, regardless of the age of the child.
www.griefshare.org "Grief Share is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life's most difficult experiences. You don't have to go through the grieving process alone." There are many helpful materials on this site, including an opportunity to sign up for an encouraging daily email.
www.griefjourney.com A quote from the website says it best - "Because there is so little understanding of grief and loss in our 'death denying culture', people often fear they are 'losing it', or 'going crazy'. When they understand that grief is a natural, albeit difficult, experience, this fact can free the person to explore their reactions and feelings by giving them 'permission' to grieve."
www.silentgrief.com For those who've lost a child. rom the home page of the website - "Support for all who have suffered miscarriage and later child loss - It is my prayer that you will find SilentGrief.com to be a safe place of healing, support, and hope during your time of grief, loneliness, and depression. Child loss, whether miscarriage, stillbirth, or older loss, is a pain like none other. It is my heartfelt desire that this will become your place to receive daily nourishment, friendship, and support for child loss so that you will never have to feel alone or silent in your grief again."
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Our most recent newsletter - Spring 2012
Healing and
Caring Tips
This issue features a listing of some areas grief support groups. As you will see,
some are for specific types of loss while others are for anyone who is grieving.
Grief Support Group
7-8:30pm Thursdays, First Baptist Church, 52 E. 8th St., Wyoming
contact Pastor Jeffrey Klansek, 552-1391 or 552-4181
non-denominational; elements of spirituality are discussed
a new topic will be presented each week.
Bereavement Support Group 706-2400
2nd Sunday of the month 2-3 p.m.
Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Center for Education
340 Montage Mountain Road, Moosic
Suicide Bereavement Support Group
sponsored by Catholic Social Services
33 East Northampton Street, Wilkes-Barre
1st and 3rd Thursday of every month at 7-8:30pm
Denise Rowinski 570-822-7118 ext.307
The Compassionate Friends www.compassionatefriends.org
for parents who've lost a child of any age
Heather Highlands Community Center
609 S Main St, Port Griffith, PA 18640
2nd Thursday of each month at 7pm
570-561-9621 or 570-654-1032
Parents of Murdered Children, Northeastern PA Chapter
7:30pm on the last Tuesday of each month
The nearest group is about 2 hours away in Norwood, PA; however if you
need someone to talk, you can reach their officers at 610-324-7378.
Their website also has bereavement resources to help you.
www.pomcdelco.com/index.html and www.pomc.com
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This column is written by various local residents. This issue it’s written by Rebekah Peoples, a funeral director
who helps us part-time at the funeral home.
Comfort
Corner
Spring is a great time of year. Little green buds start to show up on bare tree branches, tulips and daffodils gloriously sprout up, pretty yellow petals appear on forsythia bushes, and now we’re enjoying lovely azalea blossoms - pink, orange, white and red- and the calming blue-purple rhododendron. In the last weeks of winter, their appear-ance would make us think, if we didn’t know better, that they had died and would not bloom again.
Come March, though, they come alive and soon look as beautiful as ever. By now, you probably know where this is going. Spring is a reminder of a time of renewed life – a time of awaited resurrection. It surely is no accident that Easter is celebrated in this season. Bern Williams said, “The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.” For those of us who have lost someone close, the promise of eternal life holds the comfort of seeing them again.
Perhaps however, you’re missing the beauty of this Spring. Grief has a way of filling our hearts with such strong feelings that it’s all we see. Mark Twain said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of twenty-four hours.” Maybe you feel that way about the many different thoughts and emotions that you’re experiencing during this difficult time. It’s okay.
Just as the trees, bushes, and flowers find renewed life in the Spring, so our loved ones are enjoying a new life that we will see in time, and we too can feel a sense of renewal in our lives as we honor our loved one’s memory and live our lives with the peace of good memories and the promise of future ones.
Look around at the unsurpassed beauty and know that besides, the ultimate resurrection, God has given us renewal in our lives to enjoy His wondrous creation until then. Take some time to notice how many flowers, bushes, and trees are around you, not by accident, but because He knew that you would need their beauty and hope.
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You may have noticed a Times Leader article a few days ago about PA funeral home regulations. Be assured that no changes will be made for at least 90 days and we’ll run an update in the next issue.
Helpful info -
Giving away clothing and personal articles after someone dies or even selling your home
Many times after someone dies, it’s hard to see items around the home that belonged to him/her or that remind us of him. In the first few weeks or months, that may be painful so a decision is made to put them away or give them away. Although that seems logical at the time, many people express regret later and wish they had waited. Although grief never goes away completely, it does take on different aspects. An item that was once a painful sight, can with time, become a pleasant memory. Many people express regret at giving some items away or throwing them away. Before making that decision, try just putting them away where they’re out of sight for a few months. Then later, you can decide if you want to keep them or not. Some of them may be given to a family member or friend. One young lady was thrilled to be given a few lovely inexpensive pins that her grandmother used to wear on her jacket.
In extreme cases, people have felt soon after the death of a spouse that they simply could not stay in their home with so many memories and have then sold it or moved out. A few months later, they regret-ted moving to a new apartment or house and wished they still had their home. If you’re feeling that you want to move, talk to a family member, minister or trusted friend, to get a different perspective before making such a big change that can’t be easily reversed.
Do you have a damaged photograph?
It’s not uncommon for a picture to get a crease, a tear or a spot. If you have a treasured photo, we may be able to make a copy that’s restored to like-new condition. Call us for more information. 301-7723
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Treasured Photographs Made into a Free DVD
Many of you know that when you come to the funeral home to make funeral arrangements, we offer to put together a video presentation of photographs. This includes around 35-50 of your pictures to which we add transitions and also background music. The video is usually about 5-7 minutes in length. For many of you receiving this newsletter, you may not have gotten one but we would like to offer this service to you no matter how long it’s been since the services you had with us. This video disk will also allow you to give copies of these special pictures to other family members.
To view an example of this, visit our website at this link. Robert “Uncle Bob” Sobeck’s family has given us permission to post this video and share it. http://www.betzjastremski.com/obituaries.htm Then you’ll see “Click here to view Robert Sobeck’s Tribute Video.” If you don’t have internet access, call the funeral home and we’ll arrange for you to stop by the funeral home and watch it. 287-0293
Do you know someone who might like to get a print copy of this free helpful newsletter?
Send us an email or give us a call 570-287-0293; we’ll be glad to mail one to them and add them to our mailing list. It’s not necessary for them to have used our funeral home.
