Mercer County Edition Volume XXX, Number 1

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Meeting information

Meeting Topic:

Where:

January 7, 2013 The first Monday of each

month at 7:00pm

New Beginnings Guest Speaker –

Jennifer Adonizio-Vazquez

Rich Narcini

Local Chapter Notes

JANUARY

Capitol Health Systems in Hamilton

Facilitator:

When:

Newsletter Mailings Thanks to Kathy Hunt for mailing out the January

newsletters.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Dorine Dixon Sandy & Howard Hein Rose & Nicholas Mecca Jonathan and Debbie Paduano Joseph Downey

We thank you for welcoming us into your lives during such a difficult time. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting so we can get to know you and your family. Please remember that you are not alone!

Refreshments Thanks to all of our members that bring refreshments to the

meetings each month.

Inclement Weather In the event of bad weather –

please call the hotline at 609-516-8047 or visit the website at

tcfmercer.org about the cancellation of upcoming meetings.

NEWSLETTER / LIBRARY COORDINATOR Penny Parkin will be the Newsletter Coordinator starting this month. Michael Stathis will take over as the Library Coordinator. Lisa Linkowsky will take over as Treasurer until that position is filled. We thank all of our members who volunteer their time each month to make this group so strong and run so effortlessly. We always need help – mailing of newsletters, bringing in refreshments, and greeters so please let us know if you are interested.

Steering Committee Meeting Our next quarterly meeting will be held January 16th at 7pm. We meet at Panera Bread in Hamilton. Please consider attending – we would love to hear from you.

GUEST SPEAKER – Jennifer Vazquez, LCSW We are excited to welcome back Ms. Vazquez. She has been a therapist for over eight years. Her specialty areas are working with adults and children in the area of trauma and post-traumatic stress related life events and grief/bereavement counseling. Her approach when working with loss is that every person’s grief is unique and what often does not make sense in life makes perfect sense in grief.

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS Please consider sending in letters, poems or stories for us to share in the monthly newsletter. Meeting topics/speakers are also greatly appreciated.

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Please let us know if you encounter an

error in your child’s listing and a

correction will be made immediately.

With loving remembrance of our chi ldren not here but always in our hearts

REMEMBRANCE TABLE Be sure to bring in a photo or special memento each month so that we can celebrate the memory of your son or daughter together!

David Jordan Bachner Son of Rhonda and Steve

Brittany Berrios Sister of Melynda

Daryl Tariq Jamison Son of Bettina

Joseph A. Ellman Son of Fran Rauch

Colin James Turton Son of Carol Turton & Stephen Kurtz

Grandson of Sandy and Pastor Bob

James L. Vandewater IV Son of Vickie

Anthony Vocolo Son of Barbara

Rachel Ann Bungarden Daughter of Lisa and Rich

Michael T. Callighan Son of Gloria

Tommy "Tomcat" Carroll Son of Roger

Iesha L. Clark Daughter of Berlinda

Russell Joseph Antonio Colon Son of Edwin and Anna

Michael James Doolan Son of Cathe and Peter

George Charles Garman Son of Nicole and Hugh

Mark Grignon Son of Denise and Charlie

Alicia Griffith Daughter of Toni & Michael

Ian Parker Allen Son of Karen

Frank Jannotti Son of Marcia and Jim

Christine Connolly Daughter of Diane and Andrew

Patrick Ryan Mosner Son of Mary and Philip

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VICKIE VANDEWATER

In honor of James L. Vandewater IV, birthday 1/28.

Missing you with all my heart on your 27th birthday.

Forever Loved,

Mom

We want to thank and acknowledge the following for their generous support of our chapter and especially, our newsletter:

“I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful program last night. It was so emotional, so moving. I am so glad that we were a part of it. Sometimes, it is so easy to choose not to participate, to run from the pain. But, it is always there, isn't it? And the love in that room, for our children, was worth it all.”

~ Kathy Kriegner TCF Mercer member since January 2012

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Emily Carmen Aguirre Michael James Doolan Amy Kopka Daniel Alig Donna Marie Dreher Frank Kopp Ian Parker Allen Joseph A. Ellman Tyler Donovan Kramer Edward John Anderson Samuel Phillips Esposito Matthew Aaron Kraus Andrew "Drew" Apai Justin Falkowski Thomas J. Kriegner Glenn J. Archie Nicholas Federovitch Rhett Colin Krobatsch Michael Archie Sarah Ashley Ferguson Craig Philip Krosnick Donna M. Archie Michael A. Festa Tristan Tyler Lancaster Robert A .Smith Chad Flavin Tre' Lane Alexander Arcuri Timothy Folcum Elizabeth LaRosa C. Jordan Babayan Jessica Maxine Foster Aaron LeComte David Jordan Bachner Amber Marian Gardener Ernest S. Leves, Jr. Aliscia Renae Ball George Charles Garman Robert A. Lewis Matthew Barnacz Baby Garvie Audrey & Gracie Linkowsky Spencer Barnett Frank Geraci, III Devon Lucas Brody Baxter Cory Carleton Golis Haskel Lunsford Jill Sisenwine-Berger Julie Greener Anthony Michael Marchalewicz Kimberly Bernath Alicia Griffith Kevin Michael McCormick Brittany Berrios Mark Grignon Charles & Sadie McGowan Bill Bethke Laurie Hackett Ian Patrick McSherry Lisa Black-Sokolowski Jasper Bede Haggist Vincent Mecca George Bogado Bill Harkanson Brooke Ashley Meier Danielle Bonfanti TiShea Harris Bobby Mickschutz Krystal Bonfanti Philip D. Haun Joseph Michael Miller Philip Andrew Branham II James W. Hegedus Michael Minar Rachel Ann Bungarden Thomas Beckett Hensley III Rachel Crane Mollis Michael T. Callighan Jennifer Lynn Hentosh Patrick Ryan Mosner Tommy "Tomcat" Carroll Oliver Michael Hertzel Angela Mucero Brielle Childs Marc Tristan Hobbs Kristopher Klaus Muench Peter Raymond Chiste Scott Holcombe Qasim M. Muzaffar Iesha L. Clark Patrick Honsinger Ahad M. Muzaffar Helene Cody David A. Hunt Kristen Narcini Russell Joseph Antonio Colon Lovely M. James Eugene Anderson Newkirk Christine Connolly Jarrett B. James Sarah Nowalinski Jack Daniel Cuoghi Daryl Tariq Jamison Owen Michael O'Brien Benjamin Davila Carl Anthony Jamison Stella Rosina Paduano Adrian Davis Robert J. Jancewicz Mason David Piccinetti Paul DelGuidice Frank Jannotti Naren Raghuraman Ane Lisa Dillion Richard W. Jauss, Jr. Sebastian Ramirez-Breton Joseph Jayden Dismukes Gerald Johnson Dennis Reed Matthias Raymond Dixon Carleigh Marie Jones Richard J. Riley Jr. Alexander Michael Dodson Kenneth G. Keim, Jr. Gary M. Riley Michael Evan Dolnick Christopher George Kimble Theresa Marie Rivera-Cruz

IN M IN MEMORY THAT THEIR LIGHT MAY

ALWAYS SHINE

EMORY THAT THEIR LIGHT MAY ALWAYS

SHINE

Craig Robinson Anthony Michael Stathis Anthony Vocolo Alexis Antonio Rodriguez Stacie Stockton Petrone Peter Bruce Warren Edison Ruef Dominic "DJ" Tallone Sara Elizabeth Weakly David Joshua Scholle Sarah Townsend Justin Paul Weckel Sergio A. Bunda Shevlyakov Francis William Turton Michael E. Wheeler Emily Rachel Silverstein Colin James Turton James Whitehouse Menina Smith Ian Valverde Franklin W. Wilson, Jr. Gianni Sodaro Jennifer Van Hise Laura Leigh Wilson Gregory A. Solomacha Megan Van Hise-Burgess Quantanette Wise Sara Spingler James L. Vandewater IV Henry Yang Carlos Sandra Villalobos

2012 CANDLE VIGIL

The 2012 Candle Vigil had the highest turnout to date. Over 160 names were read and candles were lit in their memory. If you do not see your child’s name listed please contact us so they are included for newsletter rembrances, walk t-shirt listing and the Candle Vigil.

Thirty-three new families joined our group in 2012.

Barbara Howe received a certificate of recognition as Treasurer for eight years!

Our thanks to Shannon for coordinating this event and for all who volunteered to help make it such a special night.

Wishing all of you a peaceful and healthy 2013!

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LOVE GIFT DONATION FORM

A LOVE GIFT is a donation given in memory of a child who has died. It can also be in honor of a happy event that you would like to acknowledge. Your contributions can be in any amount, are tax deductible and are a source of income for our non-profit chapter. Checks can be made out to TCF Mercer and sent to: The Compassionate Friends, PO Box 3203, Mercerville, NJ 08619.

Name___________________________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________

City________________________________________State______ Zip ______________________

Child’s Name ______________________________ Relationship to child ___________________

Birthdate ____________________________Anniversary Date ____________________________

Amount $____________ Dedicate the newsletter in the month of _________________________

If you would like a picture of your child in the newsletter please email it to info@tcfmercer.org

Please fill out the following for a two-line message that will be printed in the newsletter:

________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Every effort will be made to include your dedication in the month that you specify – please be sure to mail your information before the newsletter mailing. The newsletter is typically mailed one week prior to the monthly meeting.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chapter Leader: Meeting Facilitators: Remembrance CardCoordinator: Correspondence Secretary Newsletter Editor: Treasurer: Event Coordinator Librarian: New Member Coordinator Chapter Delegate: SCM Minutes: Web Master/Editor Media Coordinator

OPEN Various Peggy Hegedus Toni Nowalinski Penny Parkin OPEN Shannon Pope Michael Stathis Linda Silverstein Peggy Hegedus Rich Narcini Wil Hitchman Toni Nowalinski

Since February 2008 Since April 2012 Since January 2013 Since February 2012 Since January 2013 Since October 2012 Since January 2008 Since February 2008 Since March 2009 Since December 2012

TCF Mercer Chapter Address: PO Box 3203, Mercerville, NJ 08619 609-516-8047 info@tcfmercer.org or visit us online at

www.tcfmercer.org

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PO Box 3203 Mercerville, NJ 08619

1/7 2/4 3/4

Meetings start at 7pm!

The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive.

Capital Health System of Hamilton, 1445 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619

2013 Meeting Dates

From the North (New Brunswick and Princeton): Follow Route 1 South to Quakerbridge Rd. Take the Quakerbridge Rd. Exit East. Go through approximately seven lights before you come to Route 33. Go through the intersection of Route 33 (Applebee's Restaurant will be on left corner). Street name changes to Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. Go through three lights. CHS in Hamilton is on the left, immediately following third light.

From South Jersey: Take Route 295 North to Exit 61 (Arena Drive). At the third light, make a left onto Whitehorse Avenue. Whitehorse Avenue changes to Whitehorse-Mercerville Road. Proceed on road for three lights. CHS in Hamilton is located on the right after the fourth light (#1445). From the East (Freehold/Jackson): Take Route 195 West towards Trenton. Exit at Hamilton Square. At the traffic light, make a left onto Kuser Rd. Follow Kuser Rd. for approximately two miles. The K-Mart Shopping Center will be on your left. Make a right onto Whitehorse-Mercerville Road. Proceed on Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. through one more traffic light. CHS in Hamilton is on the right.

From the West (Ewing/Trenton): Follow Olden Ave. East to Whitehorse Ave. Make a left onto Whitehorse Ave. Proceed on Whitehorse Ave. to Kuser Rd. (K-Mart Shopping Center). Go through the intersection of Whitehorse Ave. and Kuser Rd. The name of the road will change to Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. Proceed on Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. through one more traffic light. CHS in Hamilton is on the right.

From Pennsylvania (Route 95): Take Route 95 North to Route 295 South to Route 33 East (Mercerville Exit). Follow to traffic light. Make a left onto Nottingham Way. You will need to be in right lane on Nottingham Way Make a right onto Quakerbridge Rd. Go through traffic light at Route 33 (Applebee's Restaurant will be on left corner). Street name changes to Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. Go through three lights. CHS in Hamilton is on the left, immediately following third light.