Grief Support

When a loved one's funeral service is over, our Ministry does not end...

The Grief Support Group at RICHARDS, RAFF & DUNBAR MEMORIAL HOME is available to folks in our community who are grieving because someone important to them has died. The Group is led by facilitators Orbie Estep and Stephen Foster, who have many years of experience providing direction and guidance with compassion and understanding to those on their personal journey through grief.

The focus of our Grief Support Group is to try to help bereaved folks understand their emotions, and help them cope with their feelings so they can move forward with life. In addition, beneficial insights may be gained from other members of the group who choose to share their own thoughts and feelings as they experience the various stages of their own bereavement process.

Our Grief Support Group meets at the funeral home for 6 consecutive Tuesdays from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (please refer to the schedule below), then takes a 2 – week break before coming back for the next 6-week cycle. A potluck dinner is held on the 6 th Tuesday of each cycle.

The RICHARDS, RAFF & DUNBAR MEMORIAL HOME Grief Support Group was founded by the funeral homes’ owners, Rick Dunbar and his wife Anne Guyton-Dunbar, after the 1997 death of Anne’s father, Dr. Donald H. Guyton, a much-beloved local pediatrician. Rick and Anne realized there wasn’t an organization in the Springfield and Clark County area that was dedicated to helping the bereaved cope with the loss of a loved one, so they established their own outreach program. It is the longest running Grief Support Group in the area, and has always been free of charge.

Please join us when you feel you are ready…if in the meantime you have any questions about our Grief Support Group, you may call Orbie Estep or Anne Guyton-Dunbar at (937) 325-1564 or contact us through our Staff Page.

2018 Grief Support Group meeting schedule:

Session 1

January 9

January 16

January 23

January 30

February 6

February 13 * * Potluck

Session 2

March 6

March 13

March 20

March 27

April 3

April 10 * * Potluck

Session 3

May 1

May 8

May 15

May 22

May 29

June 5 * * Potluck

Session 4

June 26

July 3

July 10

July 17

July 24

July 31 * * Potluck

Session 5

August 21

August 28

September 4

September 11

September 18

September 25 * * Potluck

Session 6

October 16

October 23

October 30

November 6

November 13

November 20 * * Potluck

Hope for the Holidays

Candlelight Service of Remembrance

date in December will be announced

In addition, we have provided some helpful grief support links below:

Crisis, Grief and Healing

Webhealing.com, the first interactive grief website on the internet, offers discussion boards, articles, book suggestions, and advice for men and women working through every aspect of grief. The site’s founder, Tom Golden LCSW, has provided book excerpts and contact information to help those healing from loss.

Willowgreen

Willowgreen offers support and information for those dealing with life transition & aging, illness & caregiving, loss & grief, and hope & spirituality. The site offers advice, products, and inspirational materials.

Grief and Loss

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website contains a Grief & Loss section with grief-related articles and information.

Growth House

Growth House is an award-winning website that offers international resources for life-threatening illnesses and end of life care. The site features hypertext topic pages that explain major issues across the spectrum of hospice and home care, palliative care, pain management, grief, death with dignity, and quality improvement. It also offers disease-specific guides, an online bookstore, and even their own radio station.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s website provides a host of information and resources for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury and their caregivers.