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The Hope, Healing and Helpful Choices Committee of Forest County (HHHCC), which was established to assist the Crandon community and all of Forest County recover from the tragedy that occurred on October 7, 2007, has been sponsoring programs and events, and providing professional resources to the Forest County Community for the past three months in order to continue to fulfill it’s mission to “Engage the Forest County Community to identify helpful choices and resources to cope with life’s challenges and to promote healing.”

The resources and programs the committee has identified and sponsored in whole or in part include:

• The Day of Hope and Healing on April 30, which included the dramatic presentation of “The Dragonfly Door” performed by a special drama group of Crandon High School Seniors, followed by a book signing with the authors who came from Minnesota to show their support

• A gathering of the community for a spaghetti dinner and two presentations on living in the aftermath of tragedy

• Presentation on “Sibling Grief” by Eileen Clark, Bereavement Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

• Presentation titled “Grief is...” by Patrick Dean, MEd., CT, director of Wisconsin Grief Education Center

• Co-op sponsorship with Crandon School District of the “Voices of Men” by Ben Atherton-Zemen at the Crandon School on May 22-23

• Sponsorship of follow-up visits by Patrick Dean, providing an opportunity for grief education for individuals on “one-to-one” or in small group settings

The HHHCC has been able to sponsor these programs and professional resources through two generous grants from the Presbyterian Church, USA and Ministry Health – St. Mary’s Hospital Rhinelander.

Through these programs they hope to reach out to help the grieving community on their long and necessary journey through grief towards healing and a “new normal.”

Their goal is to continue to provide professional resources with some regularity so that their past efforts would not be just a “band-aid” attempt at community support, but rather an investment in the healing, health and well-being of those affected by loss and grief either directly, or as care-givers to those grieving.

The HHHCC has been working closely with Patrick Dean to continue to provide grief support and resources for the Forest County community on a monthly basis and will continue supporting those who are challenged by their grief through the end of 2008. They will then meet to assess the efforts and discuss the community needs at that point. Dean is available to confidently meet with and talk to individuals or families affected by this tragedy as well as doctors, nurses, EMT’s, law enforcement, dispatchers, clergy, funeral directors, teachers, counselors and any other caregivers or first responders affected by the events of last October.

Dean will be in the Crandon area this weekend, June 20 through 22, and thereafter on the second Thursday through Saturday of each month through November. If you wish to make an appointment with him, contact Dean directly by calling (262) 534-2904 or by sending an e-mail to patrickdean@griefwork.com. To learn more about Dean’s 20 years of experience working with the bereaved, go to www.griefwork.com.

Dean will met you wherever it is most convenient and confidential for you. If you live anywhere in the Forest County area (Laona, Armstrong Creek, Crandon, Argonne, Wabeno), don’t hesitate to contact him. Your loss and grief does not have to be related to October 7, 2007.

To be able to continue to sponsor programs and resources the HHHCC committee welcomes your financial support. If you wish to support these efforts financially, send donations to: HHHCC/Forest Larger Parish, P.O. Box 129, Wabeno, WI 54566. If you have any questions, call John Suminski (715) 473-3131.

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