Reporting virtually from Zoom. President Zengeler called the meeting to order, Howard led us in the pledge and Dave Potts followed with a prayer.
BRAGS:
Diana Taylor announced she will be starting her own firm beginning next year.
Carol bragged about the wonderful job our County Clerk has been doing this election season.
Yours truly visited Zion and Bryce National Parks last week and they were stunning.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A Winter Fundraiser meeting is scheduled for November 30th @ 5pm.
The next Young Adults meeting will be held on November 23rd @ 7pm.
Elliot announced that the final drop off date for the holiday ornaments will be December 4th. Please reach out to him if you need an ornament or to coordinate your drop off.
Jeff Harger indicated that the holiday food baskets are available and are $45. All donations are appreciated, so please don’t feel a need to purchase a basket. Checks can be made payable to the Sunrise Rotary Foundation and can be mailed to P.O. Box 242 Libertyville, IL 60048.
FUN & FROLICS:
Diana entertained us with a riveting round of Thanksgiving trivia.
PROGRAM:
Today’s program featured Lauren Wozniak from Willow House. Founded in 1998, Willow House is a non-profit organization intended to support children, families, schools and communities who are coping with grief and the death of a loved one.
The organization provides support in a number of ways. It organizes multiple peer and family support group categories, such as an Expressive Arts group, Survivors of Suicide Loss group, and various age groups ranging from Pre-K to Adult. Willow house has a school program which is designed to provide school personnel with the understanding and the tools they need to effectively support grieving students. In addition, the organization is involved with local communities to assist with services such as, neighborhood and community gatherings, educational consultation, program and policy development and facilitation, as well as other resources to help those in grief.
Lauren discussed the idea of the various Stages of Grief and talked about studies that have shown that the stages can be erratic and are not always a sequence. In addition, an individual may never go through all of the stages. She also provided a few support tips for helping those in grief which included, listening, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”, and allow the person to share their story. Additionally, Lauren informed us of some useful coping skills: art, journaling, exercise, mindfulness/breathing, and activities that bring joy. Additional information can be found at WillowHouse.org or by email at info@willowhouse.org.
