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.