Walking into a new group of people can be a challenging experience for most people.
It is made that much more challenging after a death,
when you are feeling very
Off Balance,
Vulnerable,
Confused,
Foggy,
Alone,
Sad.
Everyone in the meeting room before you Understands and “Gets That”.
Everyone of us has been there, too.
If you are able to call or email before coming to your first
The Compassionate Friends East Of The River CT Chapter Meeting
 it may help you to feel a little less alone
and much more emotionally comfortable walking into the room for the first time…
…you will already have made contact with the first person who will offer you
Hugs,
Understanding
and, yes,
Compassion.
We will have a name badge and welcome packet waiting for you,
so that you can come in feeling already welcomed and knowing that You Are Not Alone.
We do create name badges for everyone who attends a meeting.
None of us expect our brains to be remembering much, especially for those of us newly bereaved.
(which is often defined as the first full five years, and including the sixth anniversary, after a death)
We do ask you to fill out a contact and  information page so that we can get to know you and your child, sibling, or grandchild.
By contacting us prior to your first meeting,
we will email them to you so that time can be taken in filling them out without feeling pressured to do it during the meeting time night when emotions may be tender.
Also, if you wish to  contact us before attending a meeting,
we would be happy to meet with you ahead of time so that you have someone to walk in with.
You may bring a support person(s).Â
 Everyone who attends our
The Compassionate Friends Meeting
must accept and respect our
Meeting Room Guidelines,
The Compassionate Friends Credo
and keep confidentiality.
If you have any questions about who may attend, just get in touch before hand.
We begin to gather at 6:30 and ask anyone who is new to try to get there around that time, if possible, so that we can meet and talk comfortably before the meeting start at 7:00 and one of our leaders can help those attending the first meeting ease into it a bit.
All of us hate the reason why we have come together.
And all of us would gladly trade our relationships, as meaningful and as important as many become,  to have our child, our grandchild or our  sibling back with us again.
Our Reality is stark, but the comfort and caring that we derive from each other is great
and so
We Welcome You to
The Compassionate Friends
East Of the River
Connecticut Chapter
♥
Thank You
SPECIAL NOTE
One of our Leaders brings a well trained, friendly
ADA compliant Service Dog to Meetings.
Should this present a personal challenge for you, please contact us before the meeting by phone
860-375-EØTR (3087)
or by email
TCFEastOfTheRiverCT@gmail.com