The Compassionate Friends of East Central Ohio

A new support group has formed in our area for families who have lost a child.

The Compassionate Friends of East Central Ohio is starting in Muskingum County. Jan Winland, the Chapter Leader said this can be for anyone in the surrounding counties that cannot travel to other chapter locations.

“My daughter Amanda died 29 years ago as an infant and we attended compassionate friends support groups for several years in Lancaster Ohio; at that point in time [we] found them a great deal of help,” said Winland. “So when representatives from Genesis came to me and said ‘Would you be interested in starting a group here in Muskingum and related counties?’ I jumped at the chance.”

Winland said an interesting factor in the Compassionate Friends organization is that anyone in a leadership role has to have been through a loss of a child, but they also make the person wait at least  18 months before applying for that role.

“As most of us find out it takes many years several years in the grieving process,  before one is far enough along to be of help to others,” said Winland. “So it’s pretty wise that they actually ask you to give it time before you put yourself in a position to help others.”

Winland says immediate family members such as a mother, father, adult siblings, grandparents can attend the support group sessions, however it’s not exclusive to them. Many people in parenting roles for the child that was lost might have been aunts, uncles, adoptive parents, foster parents, or even a partial care-giver.

“Families are as diverse as, you know the names given to them,” said Winland. “So we don’t turn anyone away who identifies themselves as having been in that parenting role or in that role to have thought of this person as their child.”

The Compassionate Friends of East Central Ohio will meet the first Wednesday of every month starting December 7th. The meetings will be held from 7 to 9 in the evening at the First Christian Church located at 3,000 Dresden Road Zanesville Ohio. For more information contact Jan Winland by emailing tcfeastcentraloh@gmail.com or calling (614) 530-4274.