About Us

Monthly Meetings

The Marietta Chapter of The Compassionate Friends is a mutual self-help support group for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents.  We meet  monthly on the first Tuesday at 7:00PM at the First Baptist Church of Marietta on Church Street, just off of the square.  Though we meet at a church we have no religious affiliation.  Everyone attending the group is either a bereaved parent, grandparent or sibling.  There are no counselors or therapist here.  It is our experience that being able to express one’s thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental and compassionate environment is an important part of the healing process.  Our TCF chapter offers just such an opportunity to share our grief and to learn from each other how to cope and live after the death of our child.  

Birthdays

Birthdays are recognized at each month’s meeting.  If your child or sibling has a birthday that month, we invite you to bring in photos, memorabilia and birthday cake or favorite snack to share with us on our Birthday Table.  There is also an opportunity for you to share some of your special memories or a story about your child with us.   

Lending Library

Our chapter offers an extensive lending library with a variety of  books on grief and bereavement.  Some books are general in nature while others are specific to certain types of deaths.  Some books are written specifically for siblings while others are written specifically for fathers, mothers or grandparents.   You may check out books for as long as you need.  There are no due dates or late fees. If you have read a book that was comforting to you and would like to share it with others, donating that book in your child’s name is a wonderful way to honor them.  Bookplate/stickers are placed in these books to note whose memory they are given in.

Chapter Newsletter

Our chapter puts out a newsletter 6 times per year (every other month).  This newsletter list the birthdays and angel dates for the 2 month period, has announcements concerning the chapter and the National TCF organization, and poems and articles concerning grief.  If you would like to submit a poem or article that you have written, please send it to the newsletter editor for review.  Sending your article to the webmaster, gives us permission to print it in the newsletter to share with other members.  If you would like to submit an article or poem written by another person, we would need the author’s name and written permission from them to print it in the newsletter. 

Photo Buttons

Many  parents and siblings like to wear their child’s or sibling photo to meetings .  If you would like one of these photo buttons you can either bring a photo to one of our monthly meetings or email them to georgiaglen@hotmail.com as a JPEG attachment.  Buttons/pins will be available for pick up at the next month’s meeting.  The photo will show up best on the button if the photo sent in is larger than or equal to the button size.  If photo is smaller, it will not be as clear.  Photos are clearer when they are shrunk to fit rather than when they have to be enlarged to fit.  Buttons are about 3 inches in diameter.  Glen does this service for our chapter complimentary.

Other Resources

Our chapter also keeps a supply of brochures from the national office of The Compassionate Friends available as well as articles we have collected on the many facets of grief.

Donations

There are no dues to join the Compassionate Friends.  We pay for expenses through donations given at each month’s meeting.  Many parents search for ways to memorialize their children, donating to TCF and helping the families of other children that have died is one way to do this.  Love donations are listed in our newsletter along with the child’s name that they are in memory of. You can also make a donation via paypal to tcfmarietta.kathy@hotmail.com by clicking the donate button on the left of this page.

Volunteers

Our chapter is run by volunteers and we always warmly welcome new volunteers.  Volunteers are necessary for the chapter to continue its work in reaching out to newly bereaved parents.  If you are looking for a way to give back and lend strength and hope to others. Volunteering in the chapter is a wonderful way to do so.

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