The Bereaved Parents Support Group meets the 4th Thursday of each month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.(*although in November, the meeting combines with our Healing Together group since Thanksgiving is the 4th Thursday) for parents/guardians who are grieving the death of a child of any age -infant through adult.  This group meets at the Drew’s Hope Grief Center, 946 Ashton Dr., Shippensburg, PA.  RSVPs are requested when attending this group so we know how many chairs to set up (email us at [email protected]) and so we can contact you if the group is cancelled for any reason.

If you hate hearing the restaurant host greet you with the question, “Just one?” with THAT tone (you know the one we’re talking about), then this monthly lunch group might be for you!  We welcome all grieving spouses to join us at various local restaurants throughout the area once a month so you can enjoy food and fellowship with other bereaved widows and widowers that “get it”.  Together, we’ll find healing and hope on the difficult grief journey.

The April 2024 lunch date is April 26 at 11:30 at Main Street Family Diner, Wayne Heights Mall, 1543 E. Main St., Waynesboro, PA.  Please RSVP by Thurs., April 25 so we can reserve enough seats.  Attendees are expected to pay for their own meal.

The Perfect Blend: Coffee, Crafting & Conversation is a unique grief support group for adults who are grieving the death of a loved one (recent loss or years ago). The group meets every Wed. morning from 10 a.m. – noon at our Drew’s Hope Grief Center, 946 Ashton Dr., Shippensburg, PA.  Participants bring their own craft projects (or use our supplies) and while they craft, they talk about grief or everything but grief. It’s a unique way to connect with fellow grievers in a positive, healing way. We are seeking to create relationships that extend beyond the group in order to support and sustain us at difficult times in our grief journey. For more information, contact the DMTF at 717-532-8922 or [email protected].  *RSVPs are requested when attending this group so we know how many chairs to set up and so we can notify participants if the group is cancelled for any reason.

The grief journey is very difficult, but having the support and encouragement of other grievers who “get it” can help.  Please join us at this group for widows and widowers of any age.  If you have children, you are welcome to reserve a spot in our children’s activity group that will meet downstairs while the adult group meets upstairs.  We require registration for that since we need to have volunteers on hand to ensure child safety.  And if childcare is needed, we’d like to try to help with that too. Just let us know your needs.

As the group grows, we’ll explore dividing into more loss-specific groups like bereaved spouses with school-age children, older adult grievers, etc.  We’d like to explore a daytime option too.  But to get started, please join us so that we can see what the needs of the group are and how best to serve you.  The group will be co-facilitated by a bereaved spouse.  RSVPs are requested to [email protected] or 717-532-8922.

The GriefKnits Support Group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Drew’s Hope Grief Center, 946 Ashton Dr., Shippensburg, PA.  Knitting has shown positive mental health benefits for grievers. Come and meet others who are grieving the death of a loved one and learn to knit or bring another craft project to work on.  If you’re a griever who already knows how to knit/crochet, bring your current project and gather with us for conversation and fellowship. If you don’t have arts/crafts materials, we have lots of supplies you can use.  We provide the knitting supplies for our new knitters too.  *as a special treat, a crochet instructor will be joining us Dec. – March to teach us how to crochet a dishcloth.  Materials will be provided unless you want to purchase/pick your own yarn color.  If that’s the case, let us know and we’ll let you know the materials you need.

The Healing Together Support Group meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Drew’s Hope Grief Center, 946 Ashton Dr., Shippensburg, PA.  This education/discussion-based group is for any adults who are grieving the death of a loved one.  RSVPs are requested when attending this group so we know how many chairs to set up (email us at [email protected]) and so we can notify participants if the group needs to be cancelled for any reason.

Many people are familiar with Daddy/Daughter dances or Mother/Daughter teas, but since relationship-specific events can be major grief triggers for grieving families,  we want to offer a different event, one where grieving families of all shapes and sizes are welcomed.  So, here it is!  The 5th annual Blue Butterfly Ball will take place on Sun. June 2, 2024, from 5-8 p.m. at Heritage Farm Restored, Newburg, PA.  This is an event for all grieving families (like a family prom!) where you can dress up as fancy as you want to, get crafty at our crown/tiara-making station, enjoy family-friendly food and dance the night away.  Contact the DMTF at 717-532-8922 or [email protected] to reserve your tickets for this special annual event (tickets are available for free for grieving families, but we welcome donations to help cover the cost of this event).  Special thanks to Mark & Karlen Williams at Heritage Restored for making this event possible.

The Tee Off for Drew golf tournament to benefit the Drew Michael Taylor Foundation takes place the first Monday in August each year at the Chambersburg Country Club in Chambersburg, PA.  This year’s date is Monday, Aug. 5, 2024.  The four person scramble event begins at 8:30 a.m. and consists of donuts/coffee, cart snacks/beverages, and a lunch following the round.  The cost is $90 per golfer.  We extend a special thanks to Kyner’s Auto Sales in Chambersburg for sponsoring this event.

Print out a registration form and mail it with your check to DMTF, 946 Ashton Dr., Shippensburg, PA 17257.  If you prefer to pay by credit card, contact the DMTF and they’ll guide you through the the Paypal process.  This event sells out each year, so submit your registration ASAP!

Drew’s Hope is a 7 session grief support program for children/teens 18 and under and their families that meets each Fall and Winter/Spring on the campus of Shippensburg University.  Dinner is served, followed by separate support groups for children, teens and adults.  More information, and an informational video, can be found under the Drew’s Hope tab.  Pre-registration is required for this program.  A list of our adult grief support groups can be found under the Grief Support and Events tabs. *we do not have exact days for our Fall semester, but will begin registering families in late August/early September of 2024.