The Compassionate Friends

  For Bereaved Families and the People Who Care About Them,

     Following the Death of a Child

  Space Coast Chapter

                                    We need not walk alone ...

Updated: Meetings, Our Children, and Resources Pages (July 2008)

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The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to  assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age

Founded in 1969, in Coventry, England, this group was started when Reverend Simon Stephens encouraged two families to get together and talk after the deaths of their sons.  The two families formed an immediate bond as they talked freely about their boys, sharing their memories and dreams.  The families continued to meet regularly and decided to form a self-help group to actively reach out to newly bereaved parents.  This new organization was called "The Society of Compassionate Friends."  There are now Compassionate Friends chapters in every state of the United States and hundreds in Canada, Great Britain, and other countries around the world.  We encourage other family members, especially siblings, to share in our task of mutual support.  We hope you understand our request to limit attendance to teens and older.

The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization offering friendship and understanding to bereaved parents and families.  Our purpose is to promote and aid parents and families in the positive resolution of the grief experience upon the death of their child, and to foster the physical and emotional health of bereaved parents and surviving children.  Some chapter meetings are in church facilities, but no religious creed or affiliation is involved.

The secret of TCF's success is simple: As seasoned grievers reach out to the newly bereaved, energy that has been directed inward begins to flow outward and both are helped to heal.

We feel the pain of your loss and invite you to share your grief with us.  We, too, have lost a child.  We are the surviving parents, grandparents, siblings, and loved ones.  The death of a love one causes stress, but the death of a child is particularly severe.  This loss is considered premature at any age and symbolizes the destruction of our hopes and future.  Our meetings are informal and both the newly bereaved and the longer bereaved are welcome.  When you attend our meetings, you are free to ask questions, share your stories, or just listen.

 

Click below to access the national site's home page:

  The Compassionate Friends National Organization