Grief Support Hope After Heartache: 2 Virtual Grief Support Program Options Included with your OGR membership By Nancy Weil, OGR Member Resources Director Telephone Grief Support Group Offer your families access to a grief support group you don’t have to run. I am a Certified Grief Management Specialist with over 17 years experience running grief support programs. Let me become your grief support resource so you can do more for those you serve than just offering an expected, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Here’s how it works: • OGR offers a grief support group once a month on GoToMeeting, which families can access via video chat or audio only. • You will receive a templated outreach letter you can tailor for your funeral home and mail to every family you serve. • The letter contains simple participants to use each month. • Once a month, participants make the call, connect with others who are grieving - all under the guidance of a skilled facilitator offering participants specific tools to navigate the journey of grief Plus, you get even more resources to offer to your families: • A Brief Exploration of Grief booklet written by me that you can post on your website • Blogs and articles you can print, put in newsletters or post on your social media pages Voicemail Program A Virtual Hug allows friends and family to record a voice message of comfort along with a memory or two your bereaved families can listen to again and again. 8 www.ogr.org | Summer 2020 instructions for While tribute walls on obituary pages and social media posts let families know they’re not alone in their time of grief, a voice recording goes the extra step to connect with those grieving and is accessible to people of all ages. By inviting others to leave messages of comfort in a voicemail box, your families will get something they will treasure over the weeks and months ahead. Each time they listen to a story being told, they will be connected to both the person who called as well as their loved one. The entire family can access these messages and will be able to download and keep their messages forever. It is simple to set up and simple for the family to use. You will receive: • Detailed instructions on how to set up each family’s individual voicemail box • A template form you can give to each family with information on how to use the system • Program logo • A press release to send out to local media alerting them to this new grief support option Here is what one OGR member had to say about offering a grief support program: “I never felt motivated about offering grief support, but Nancy’s passion and insight has made me realize that along with there being a need for grief support, it can be a great opportunity to connect with people in the community and essentially gain referrals.” Your families are counting on you to support them in their time of need, not just for a day or a week but for the duration of their grief journey. Get started by contacting Nancy at nweil@ogr.org or (512) 334-5504 ext. 304.
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