Real Life Silver Valley offers GriefShare events

It is no secret that grief has touched many in our valley over the years in various ways. Chances are, if you yourself aren’t grieving, you probably know someone who is. That was the case for Saundra Rowland, a member of Real Life Silver Valley Church who recently became a GriefShare leader. Rowland said her heart was broken as she noticed the mounting number of people around her that were experiencing loss, with no resource to turn to.

“I have a friend in church who right around January, had her dad pass away. She went out seeking grief counseling for her mom, and there just isn't anything. Even in the Coeur d’Alene area, she couldn't get in anywhere for six months.”

GriefShare is a worldwide organization that provides training to equip community-led grief support groups. For the past 13 weeks, Rowland and six others from Real Life Silver Valley have been traveling to the Real Life Post Falls campus to participate in GriefShare training courses with the goal of bringing classes to Shoshone County.

In addition to taking part in the training, Rowland and her group have also brought friends with them to simply participate in the class.

“We are going through the training and they are going for the class and they just have had wonderful things to say about it, and I am so glad!”

Rowland says anyone who is experiencing grief is welcome to come join the GriefShare events at Real Life Silver Valley and that she can't imagine anybody, especially in this day and age, who wouldn't have experience with grief, whether it's the loss of a spouse, a friend or relative.

Guests will be welcomed into an environment that is comfortable and safe, while learning to walk through grief with people who are also going through it.

"The feedback that we're getting from people who have taken the class, is that real support has come from each other," she said.

Each session is “self-contained” with new topics every week, meaning attendees are welcome to come to as many classes as they are available to attend.

“There are things that everyone experiences with grief, but maybe not in the same way and time,” Rowland said. “You may experience anger first, and I may experience it sixth or seventh, so each week we direct a different aspect of grief.”

She envisions GriefShare to not just be a one-time experience, but an ongoing source of support for those in the Silver Valley and hopes other churches will get involved.

GriefShare events at Real Life Ministries, located at 708 N. Division St. in Pinehurst, will be open to the public. A one-time seminar will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. Weekly classes will begin Monday, Oct. 18 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.. They will also hold a "Surviving the Holidays" conference on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 to 11 a.m.

For more information on GriefShare or if you would be interested in hosting an event at your church, you can find resources at griefshare.org.