Fall 2020 Update - Jeff's Place

Jeff’s Place Program Update

The dedication of our staff, facilitators, and our families never ceases to amaze me! Our program offerings were extended through July, to fill the needs of our grieving community. We took August and September to assess, tweak, and adjust our program! At the beginning of October, we kicked off our program year, connecting with our families in person for the first time in months, to distribute art supplies for kids to use in our virtual groups!

We are thrilled to have built upon what we learned in the spring, to make our virtual groups even stronger for this upcoming year.

In closing I would like to share how we open each group session. This poem was written by past participant/current facilitator, Joan Scott:

In gratitude and hopes for good health and peace,

Jenny

Heartfelt Appreciation

Jeff’s Place is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support by our entire village during this challenging time. Thank you to all of you who have reached out and offered to help us in countless ways. There is so much to be done and we can’t do it without YOU! Thank you! Please read this recent press release thanking our the local foundations who have stepped up when we truly needed it the most. We are humbled and appreciate their, and your, trust in us as we strive to insure our vision that "No one grieves alone."

THANK YOU FOR MAKING US:

You can read the reviews HERE… our gratitude overflows!

NEW PROGRAM OFFERINGS!

Young Adult Group (ages 18-25)- Jeff’s Place is excited to be hosting a Young Adult Grief Support Group which will meet virtually once-monthly, via Zoom, for adults ages 18-25 who have had a parent or sibling die. Apply here.

COVID-19 Grief Group for Adults (12-week sessions in collaboration with Advocates through the generosity of The Parmenter Foundation). Sessions will focus on different kinds of grief (loss due to death or life-limiting illness, loss of standard memorial rituals, etc.), the many different ways people grieve, and coping mechanisms. For more information, please contact Jenny.

House Update!

Jeff’s Place found a new home to meet its many growing needs. As expected with renovations, we’ve had unexpected delays and expenses. We have also had heartwarming surprises of acts of kindness and generosity! Our builder, Steve Comolli, stated that "All the team members at Comolli Construction are proud to support Jeff’s Place! This new building will be a true place of comfort for the community and we are honored to be part of the process". He reached out to his network and Koopman Lumber answered the call!

Koopman Lumber

Donated our Kitchen!

"As we enter our 81st year of being a family owned and operated business, we take pride in being able to support the communities we serve. Family is very important to us; in fact, we’ve just welcomed the eldest great grandson of Peter T. Koopman (the founder of Koopman Lumber) into our own business this year. You have created Jeff’s Place as a community source of respite and hope for families to come together and heal. We are proud to support all that you are doing for the families that you serve. We are happy to say that the kitchen for Jeff’s Place will be provided at no charge to you by Koopman Lumber."

-Denise, Dirk and Tony

We are grateful to Chris Hopkins, co-owner of Twin Pines Family of Companies, and Céline Riard, owner of Chic Redesign, who have been donating their time and expertise to create peaceful and warm interior and exterior designs. They have worked alongside our memory garden committee to design safe and meaningful outdoor space that will be an extension of our indoor program spaces.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please help us raise the necessary funds to turn our new home into a haven of healing and hope! Some donors gave through stock donations, others through charitable and personal giving, and some got creative with bake sales and a bike-a-thon.

Every penny is appreciated and is held in a restrictive fund for our new home. Please donate and if you are interested in a naming opportunity for a room or the building, please contact Jenny.

We also have a wish list at Target (THANK YOU to the very generous donors who have donated more than half of the list thus far!). We also seek gift cards for supplies at Target, Staples, and Wal-Mart!

Here are a few of our needs, in addition to financial contributions: Do you have expertise in the following trades or can you help us procure donated items and supplies?

Garden Items
Fencing
Stone/Pavers
Woodworking/building a gazebo or arbor
Painting the interior of the house
Flooring
Plastering
Handyman/woman services
Anything else you can think of?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT!