Mourning Hope Programs and Events
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BNI, an international referral networking organization, helps businesses and professionals cultivate success through word-of-mouth marketing. Mourning Hope extends its gratitude to BNI of the Heartland for their dedication to the community, and for assisting in our mission to companion grieving families. The charity golf outing is simply one example of how BNI is part of community life and sets an example of leadership giving in Nebraska.
For only $110 per person or $400 per team (Early Bird Registeration), you can register for the golf tournament which will be held at Iron Horse Golf Club located between Mahoney State Park and Ashland, NE, just minutes from Omaha and Lincoln. This unique golf course is built around an old rock quarry and features incredible views and exceptional course conditions. The four person scramble format event includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, prizes and a BBQ buffet following golf. Please register early; space is limited.
Individuals and businesses can gain valuable exposure as well as support bereaved youth and their families throughout southeast Nebraska by taking advantage of a corporate sponsorship opportunity. Please follow the links below by May 31, 2013 to register and to ensure your sponsorship.
- Click here to register online or take advantage of the hole sponsorship opportunities
- Click here for a printable registration form
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Throughout the community, several counseling services and resources aimed at helping children cope with the death of a loved one exist. Likewise, there are a few grief support options for bereaved parents who have experienced the death of a child, adults who have experienced the death of a spouse, and individuals grieving many other types of losses. Unfortunately, however, there's a dearth of available resources in the Lincoln Community for young adults between the ages of 19 and 30 who are struggling to cope with the loss of someone significant in their life.
While Mourning Hope has traditionally offered grief support group services for children, teens and young adults through college-age, we recognize that a gap in service exists for bereaved young adults in the post-college age range. And based on the considerable number of weekly calls we receive from people looking for grief resources and referrals, we know there is a tremendous request for grief support services in this age bracket.
Subsequently, Mourning Hope will begin offering free grief support groups for those between the ages of 19 and 30(ish). Whether you are single, married, experienced the death of a family member, coworker or friend, Mourning Hope invites you to participate in its ongoing grief support group for young adults. This group will meet the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 6:30 p.m. -- 8 p.m., beginning on Thursday, September 13. You are welcome to join at any time.
The young adult group will provide an opportunity for bereaved individuals to meet with other people struggling with the overwhelming range of emotions experienced following the death of a loved one. In a safe, non-judgmental environment, individuals will be invited to share their personal experiences with grief, ask questions of the group, and provide support for the other participants.
The grief support program is provided free-of-charge, but participants must pre-register. To register, contact Mourning Hope at 402.488.8989 or mskala@mourninghope.org.
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The camp theme will be based on a book by Patrice Karst titled: "The Invisible String," which illustrates that we are all connected by this thing called an Invisible String. The story is a warm and charming lesson teaching children that no one is ever really alone and reminding youth (and adults) that: "People who love each other are always connected by a very special string, made of love…even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love."
Youth will be divided into age-appropriate groups facilitated by trained bereavement professionals. Recognizing that children grieve in "doses," age-appropriate activities will allow children to express themselves through play at the Lincoln Children's Zoo, intermittent with opportunities for healing.
Adults will participate in their own group and have the opportunity to share and express their grief, as well as learn additional skills and knowledge to support their bereaved children. At least one adult per family must attend with their youth. Children and their adult caregivers will learn healthy coping skills for dealing with the death of a loved one. They will be given the freedom to grieve in their own way and at their own pace.
The H.U.G.S. grief camp is an annual event celebrating its 14th year in the Lincoln community. Partnering organizations include AseraCare Hospice, Health Connect at Home, HoriSun Hospice, Lincoln Children's Zoo and Mourning Hope Grief Center. Registration forms for the H.U.G.S. grief camp are now available and families throughout the state are encouraged to register.
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The LOSS Team is an effort to bring immediate support to survivors as close to the time of completion as possible. The LOSS team participates in a "call-out", only with the agreement of the family and/or individuals, which is activated by the Lincoln Chaplains Corp and/ or Lancaster County Sheriff's Department/Lincoln Police Department.
The focus of the LOSS team is to provide the clear message of hope that the survivors can move through this time of shock and despair, by providing information on a variety of resources available in the community such as Ray of Hope and Mourning Hope. Follow up calls are made by the LOSS team members with the permission of those individuals attending the call out.
The LOSS team invites you to join their first annual fundraiser at Holmes Lake Park on June 1st at 10:00 a.m. This is an opportunity to connect with other survivors and provide support to reduce the stigma and bring hope. We hope to celebrate the lives of the family and friends we have lost by walking in honor and memory of them.
PAST PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
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Hope In the Morning Breakfast 2013
Hear keynote speaker Brian Griese at the "Hope in the Morning" breakfast. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1998 NFL Draft, Griese's NFL career spanned 11 years from 1998-2009. He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and ended his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An AFC Pro Bowl selection with the Broncos in 2000, Griese earned a Super Bowl ring with the team in Super Bowl XXXIII. Brian and his father Bob Griese are the only father/son quarterback combination in NFL history to both win Super Bowl titles. Currently, Brian Griese works with ESPN as a college football analyst.
Griese's mother dies of breast cancer when he was only 12 years old. The grieving process was lonely for Brian, so he founded Judi's House in 2002 in honor of his mother. Judi's House is designed to serve grieving children in the Denver area. To date, the center has helped more than 4,500 youth and adult caregivers cope with the overwhelming feelings of grief.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Featuring Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D, University of Memphis
The experience of loss and grief may be timeless, but our understanding of the process has evolved greatly in recent years. In the first part of this day-long workshop, we will consider evidence that older models of grief as a series of "stages" of emotional adjustment can be seriously misleading, and suggest instead that newer models drawing on attachment, coping and meaning reconstruction may be more scientifically valid and practically useful. Using brief case studies and current research, we will conclude with an integrative model of normal or adaptive grief and suggest its implications for bereavement support and grief counseling.
As both research and practical experience teach us, however, for a significant number of bereaved people, grieving may be life-limiting and can undermine the quality of our relationships, our ability to find meaning, focus on work and even affect our physical health. The second half of this workshop will therefore review risk factors for complicated, prolonged grief and discuss interview questions counselors can use to screen for those complications. Using brief video vignettes of clients to illustrate how complications can be expressed in the clinical context, we will close by suggesting some interventions that can help them integrate the reality of the loss while reaffirming their bond with the deceased loved one.
Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, where he also maintains an active clinical practice. Since completing his doctoral training at the University of Nebraska in 1982, he has conducted extensive research on the topics of death, grief, loss, and suicide intervention. Neimeyer has published 25 books, including Techniques of Grief Therapy: Creative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved. The author of nearly 400 articles and book chapters, he is currently working to advance a more adequate theory of grieving as a meaning-making process, both in his published work and through his frequent professional workshops for national and international audiences. Neimeyer is the editor of two respected international journals, Death Studies and the Journal of Constructivist Psychology, and served as president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he has been granted many distinguished awards. Most recently, he has received the Phoenix: Rising to the Service of Humanity Award by the MISS Foundation and ADEC's Clinical Practice Award for his contributions to grief therapy.
For Course Information Questions, contact Jeanette Walsh
Southeast Community College, Continuing Education: 402-437-2706 • 800-828-0072, ext. 2706 jwalsh@southeast.edu
Free Community Event featuring Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D, University of Memphis
Tuesday February 12, 20137:00pm-8:30pm
Bryan Medical Center-Plaza Conference Center
Free and Open to the public!
To register, visit www.bryanhealth.org/calendar or call 402.481.8886.
When someone we love dies, one world ends and another begins. In this presentation, we will explore the idea that loss often casts us into a changed life, one in which we struggle with the meaning of the death and the meaning of our lives now. As we do so, in a sense reinventing ourselves and our worlds in the process, we commonly find that loss entails growth as well as grief, calling on deeper capacities for compassion, revised priorities and greater wisdom in the wake of unwelcome change.
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Join us on February 23rd as Pastry Chef Suzanne Griffith teaches us some fun decorating techniques to do with cupcakes. You will learn some new skills and be able to take home some of your creative creations to share!
There is NO fee for this event, but you must register by February 20, 2013. Space is Limited!
The following 3 forms MUST be filled out in order to register:
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Sunday December 16, 2012
4:30-5:30 PM
The arrival of the holidays often comes with a variety of emotions, memories and expectations that center on family traditions and celebrations. At Mourning Hope, we understand that holidays with the absence of loved ones can often be very difficult. Mourning Hope invites your family to help us begin a new tradition this holiday season. This celebration centers on providing support for our grieving families and joining together to honor and remember loved ones who have died.
On Sunday, December 16, we invite your family to attend our second annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. During this short one-hour ceremony, families will decorate ornaments, design a luminary - and most importantly, reconnect with friends. We will conclude our time together by remembering our loved ones through candlelight and the lighting of the Memory Tree.
RSVP your family's attendance by Wednesday, December 12. You may RSVP by leaving a message at our Center 402.488.8989 or through email at jbass@mourninghope.org.
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Saturday, November 17, 2011
4919 Baldwin Avenue
Lincoln, NE 68504
Mourning Hope Grief Center invites you to attend "Holiday Hope." Whatever your age, whoever has died, whatever the cause of death, holidays lived in the absence of a loved one can be very difficult. With the arrival of the holidays often come a variety of emotions, memories and expectations that center on family traditions and celebrations. Adults will be treated to a 3-hour session designed to help them navigate through the holiday season, while youth will be joined by local artists to create memory items honoring their loved one. It is not, however, necessary for attendees to participate as a family unit - youth can participate in the art program without an adult caregiver and all adults, with or without children, are invited to register for Holiday Hope.
Fee:
$10 for the adult session (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
$20 for the youth session to cover the cost of materials. (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) Please do not let the cost deter you from attending. Scholarships are available.
Registration:
Registration is required. To register, please call Mourning Hope at (402) 488-8989 or e-mail jbass@mourninghope.org.
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The Day of the Dead - or Día de los Muertos - is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world during the last days of October and the first days of November. The annual holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember loved ones who have died. The intent of the family event is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them.
Specifics of the celebration vary by region, but the most common custom includes the making of elaborate altars - called ofrendas - to welcome departed spirits home. Ofrendas are built containing the favorite foods, beverages, photos and memorabilia of the departed. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased.
On October 28th, the Sheldon Museum of Art will be holding their annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration. Colorful decorations and a traditional ofrenda will decorate the museum, and Sheldon will invite community members to bring their own commemorative items to place on the altar which will be displayed through mid-November.
This year, Mourning Hope will be partnering with Sheldon and other community agencies on the Day of the Dead celebration. In addition to Mourning Hope offering a memorial craft project to the nearly 800 celebration visitors, Mourning Hope will assist with the remembrance writing project, displayed as a colorful mosaic on Sheldon's windows during the last weeks in October and for the Day of the Dead celebration.
We ask that anyone involved with Mourning Hope to please consider participating in the remembrance writing project. The prompt simply reads: "I celebrate your life because" and can be answered in a few words, sentences, paragraphs or pictures. The text length is entirely up to you, and you can sign your name or leave it blank. The name of the deceased person can be included if desired, but this is not essential, and the responses can be handwritten or typed. A template can be downloaded below or Mourning Hope can email/mail you a copy if needed.
Please do not write on the back of the template. The Sheldon will be attaching the template page to colored paper so that festival attendees can read the tributes on the front, while the backs of the pages form a colorful grid across the Sheldon windows.
Please return all writing responses to Mourning Hope by October 15th; we will forward additional information about the festival as the date gets closer.
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Healing the Family Heart Grief Retreat
Mourning Hope Grief Center's annual overnight family retreat, "Healing the Family Heart," will be held on September 22nd and 23rd at the Carol Joy Holling Retreat Center in Ashland, Nebraska.
Grieving children and teens often feel alone in their grief; they feel that others cannot understand their loss when a significant person in their life dies. Mourning Hope Grief Center's "Healing the Family Heart" overnight grief retreat is designed to help bereaved families, both youth and their adult caregivers, meet others who understand what it's like to lose a loved one.
"Healing the Family Heart" combines a traditional, fun camp experience with grief support and education. It is designed to help families share their grief experiences in creative ways through arts and crafts, time to talk and share, outdoor games, challenge courses, memorial activities and a campfire experience. The retreat provides a relaxed, safe and supportive setting for family members to express emotions, share their grief and learn positive coping skills.
This weekend-long retreat includes confidence-building programs and age-based support groups that break the emotional isolation grief often brings. Through this amazing weekend of growth, bereaved families gain new skills that help build confidence and hope for the future.
To register, contact Mourning Hope at 402.488.8989 or jbass@mourninghope.org. We can only accept a limited number of families, so please register early. A small fee is requested for lodging and related retreat expenses, but scholarships are available.
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Sometimes words are too difficult, but children can often express their feelings through other means, such as art. By working in tandem with professional local artists and trained grief facilitators, children will gain valuable insight and understanding regarding their personal grief journey.
This is the sixth summer "Art From Our Heart" has been offered in the community to bereaved youth. The event will be held on Saturday, July 21st, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public. "Art From Our Heart" is an opportunity for Nebraska children to connect with others, continue the healing process through art-making and awaken a sense of hope.
There is a $20 supply fee for youth participating in Art From Our Heart and lunch will be provided; scholarships are available. To register, call Mourning Hope at 402.488.8989 or email jbass@mourninghope.org.
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program is for anyone ages 13 to 19
who has experienced the death of
a loved one. It's not group, it's not
therapy; it's just a place to have fun
and hang out with others who know
what it's like to be a grieving teenager.
Take a walk down the red carpet and
join us for an outdoor movie night! We
plan to watch the Academy Award-winning
motion picture Hugo and have
fun making s'mores around the fire pit.
Plan to dress warm and bring a lawn
chair if you have one to use. If you know
any other teens who have had a loved
one die, be sure to invite them.