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May 2009
Welcome to this issue of CONNECTIONS from the KARLA SMITH FOUNDATION.
Welcome to the May 2009 issue of CONNECTIONS, the e-mail newsnotes from the KARLA SMITH FOUNDATION. Feel free to forward these notes to anyone on your e-mail list. For copies of this edition as well as previous CONNECTIONS, go to our website: www.KarlaSmithFoundation.org.
Our on-going support groups, one for the family and friends of anyone with mental health problems and another group for anyone who lost a loved one to suicide, continue to attract new members along with participants who have been with us for a number of years. We always have room for more, so if you or if you know someone who could benefit from one of the groups, please join us on Thursday evenings at The Peace Chapel, 10101 W. Main Street in Belleville from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. The first and third Thursdays are for families and friends of anyone with mental illness, and the second and fourth Thursdays are for anyone who lost a loved one to suicide.
We have recently started another KSF support group in Maryville, IL as the Foundation reaches out into Madison County. This new group also serves anyone who lost a loved one to suicide. This group meets from 7:00pm to 8:30pm on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at Copper Creek Christian Church, 2184 Vadalabene Drive in Maryville, IL 62062. Offering this group at a different time and location provides grief support to more people who experience the unique pain of losing a loved one to suicide.
KSF recently upgraded our website to make it more dynamic, user friendly, and supply more information. New features include the capability of viewing our DVD on-line, utilizing our Directory, keeping up with KSF activities, and joining our on-going, on-line discussion group, along with a new look. Visit the website often at www.KarlaSmithFoundation.org.
Mark the date for the Third Annual KSF Dinner Auction on November 7 at the Fountains Conference Center in Fairview Heights. The Fundraising Committee is working hard planning another enjoyable event. More information will follow but keep that date open so you can join in on the fun while supporting the mission of KSF.
KSF is co-sponsoring a series of film events followed by a panel discussion featuring the movie “Jumping Off Bridges.” The film’s focus is four high school friends as they respond to the suicide of one mother and the impact of this tragedy on the family and friends. The program is part of a state-wide campaign called “Say It Out Loud” which promotes mental health. So far, the film was shown at SIUE and the Lincoln Theater in Belleville. There will be a viewing in June for teachers, and some possible future showings in Sparta and at Lindenwood College in Belleville. The hope is that people suffering from depression, other mental disorders, or thoughts of suicide will seek the help they need to deal with these issues effectively.
KSF was represented in Indianapolis when Tom and Fran Smith presented an evening program on “Mental Health Ministry” to a parish and then conducted an all day workshop on “Suicide Grief” to funeral directors and bereavement counselors. As a follow-up, the Smiths will offer another workshop on mental illness and suicide in Indianapolis for the National Conference for Bereavement Ministers in October.
The third annual Erase the Stigma Conference takes place at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows on October 2-3, with the theme of “Walking the Talk: Turning Words into Action as Caregivers and Companions of those Living with Mental Illness.” The conference this year features Rev. Craig Rennebohm, author of Souls in the Hands of a Tender God. For more information, visit the KSF website under the tab, Educate and then Upcoming Events.
KSF continues its arrangement with the psychology department at the University of Illinois on a research project about our support groups. The next phase of the research will be an on-line survey for participants. This on-line survey, coupled with the focus group data previously collected, will give us an objective report on the effectiveness of the KSF approach to our support groups.
Please contact us at any time with your comments, suggestions, or questions about KSF. You can reach us through e-mail at KSF@KarlaSmithFoundation.org or call at 618-628-3129. We appreciate your continuing support as, together, we provide hope for a balanced life to family and friends of anyone with a mental illness or who lost a loved one to suicide.
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