Grief Awareness
Serendipity and the Story of Giving Back
Sometimes things happen at just the right moment. For some of us that can be easily overlooked but for others the timing could not be more important. In 2004, Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva and her daughter, Gabrielle, had just returned to Atlanta from living in Washington, D.C. for a brief time. Dr. Spiva had suffered…
Read MoreThe Community at Work
Debra Brook was looking for a change to her professional life. Having spent 15 years as a recreation therapist she knew that the time had come to move on and find a new challenge. Having a connection to Kate’s Club through one of its employees at the time, Debra decided to try her hand at…
Read MoreGiving Can Be a Form of Healing
I struggled to fight back tears as I listened to Nancy Anderson, the mother of Kate’s Club participants Kinsey and Ellie, tell her story. Given Nancy suffered a loss, one may automatically assume that my tears were due to sadness. However, to the contrary, I restrained tears of joy. It’s not particularly often that…
Read MoreThe Beneficial Nature of a Two-Way Street
Christie Carden knew the pain of loss at a young age. As a junior in high school she lost her father. At seventeen years old she struggled to find meaning to the emotions moving through her yet gave up on her fight after only four counseling sessions, needing instead to be “strong for her family”. …
Read MoreBe The Light
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with each of Mary Howell, the current Board Chair of Kate’s Club, and Toni Millner, the immediate past Board Chair of Kate’s Club (and currently a member of the Advisory Board), over coffee, to talk about their involvement with Kate’s Club. Mary is a Director of Corporate Finance…
Read MorePurpose Through Loss
Although a family cannot forget or replace the loss of a loved one, they can be empowered to turn that loss into a catalyst for a more clear focus and greater determination. Wendy Hensel and her family’s journey prove that grief can serve as fuel for positive personal growth. Wendy was devastated when she lost…
Read MoreStruggle and Transcendence
Many stories and perspectives will emerge from the 10th Anniversary Story Initiative. Most will focus on participants and parents served. As much as we like mission centric stories, it also important to offer the world the opportunity to view Kate’s Club through 360 degree lenses. There is value in knowing the story of the infrastructure,…
Read MoreFree to Grieve. Free to Live.
“Did you see that?” the mom asked halfway through the interview. “See what?” I asked, feeling a bit oblivious. “Every time my girls share something with you, they watch to see how their words have impacted me,” she observed. The mother, her two daughters and I continued the conversation over our hot cocoa and cookies.…
Read MoreFather's Day H.U.G.S.
The Ball Toss activity kicked off Father’s Day H.U.G.S. last Saturday at Kate’s Club. Kaylan’s dad loved ice cream. His favorite basketball player was Michael Jordan. And he was a great friend to all. Immediately after sharing some of the things she’d written about her dad, the 12-year-old drew and filled in a pink heart…
Read MoreLIVE from the Clubhouse
Today we have a special group of guest bloggers… our Kate’s Club Teens. We have been talking about the power of telling your grief story when combined with social media. I hope you enjoy what they wanted to share with you. Brainstorming their message… Tevonte’s Message: Composing his message “Although your love one is gone,…
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