Spring 2016Issue no. 46

Our mission: We help children, teens and adults, who are experiencing the pain of loss, to embrace life again.

Looking Ahead From our Director

Who We Are

Our Staff

Julie LockhartExecutive Director

Anya NeherProgram Manager

Steve Del ValleOffice Manager

Chi Young Kim Youth Program

Amanda ConstableYouth Staff

Angel DeShaneChildren’s Program

Our Board

Judy HilyardPresident

Adam MarxVice President

Jim TitusTreasurer

Angel DeShaneSecretary

Lucinda Moeglein Mark MoegleinJan MurphyCarolyn ShafferJodie Sneller

Our Advisory Council

Jennifer Downs, LPC

Quin Ley, LCSW

Gary McConahay, PhD

Kim Oveson, CADC II

Fern Snogren, LCSW

Glyn Travis, LPC

Lynn Whitaker, LCSW

A new home for WinterSpring is on the horizon! We’re planning for a move to a space that will better accommodate our expanding pro-

grams for children, teens, families, and adults. How can we do this? WinterSpring has been the recipient of a generous bequest from our beloved friend Alan Hamilton. Alan came to us after the death of his wife, Genita. In his words, the group experience “helped me tremendously in adjusting to a new and different life.” During the groups, Alan formed special bonds with several of his cohorts. As their friendships blossomed, they became social companions as well as emotional comrades. They attended WinterSpring events together, and I’d hear about their dinners out, their Britt attendance, and other fun outings. These new friends were there for each other through the hard times, too. Alan also befriended the WinterSpring board and staff, and often graciously stepped up to volunteer. We truly miss this sweet, generous man who died on December 26, 2014. We believe that he meant this gift to help us serve more people, and since we have far exceeded capacity in our current spaces, the best use is for a new home. Our highest priority is to get kids and their families into a warm, inviting space that is conducive to healing. Since our current lease is up at the end of the summer, we started our search in January. By early March, we thought we had found the perfect place in an old church in Medford. Fortunately, we discovered a significant zoning issue in time to get out of the contract, but that means we are looking again. Our search will include spaces that make the most of the funds we have, leave us with a healthy reserve fund, and bolster our capacity to provide group support to grieving children, teens and adults in our very own place. We are deeply grateful that Alan discovered the “Spring” in WinterSpring and wanted to give back. Finding a new home will honor Alan’s memory for years to come, and I can imagine the humble smile on his face. His legacy will provide an important step toward organizational sustainability and growth in our services, a testament that planned giving can indeed make a significant difference in our effectiveness and stability. How can you help make this dream a reality? The real estate market is very tight, so if you know of a commercial property that’s about to go on the market, or a great place to lease, please let us know. Medford is our main focus area because of its proximity to the majority of our clients and the possible collaborations with other organizations. Once we’ve found a place, we’ll need help with projects to get the space ready for use…so please stay tuned! We look forward to our continued partnership with you as we take the next steps to meet more of the grief needs in this valley. With warm regards,

Volunteers:Jyll AbramsJosiah AbramsAlan AckroydRich AdamsAdam AiroldiTressi AlbeeShoshana AlexanderSarah Avery-MeyersLiz AxnessJeff BilyeuFayegail Mandell-BisacciaScott BlairPaul BoettigerLindy BonserMegan BreedloveJim BronsonDon BrulandSue CarrollCarol ClumAmanda ConstableHelene DeMartinezSally DensmoreAngel DeShaneTom DeShaneJudy DolmatchJennifer DownsEmma Lockhart Durbin

Joyce EllisDenise ErskineDee EversHolly FergusonSheryl FierroJohn GalbraithPaul Gibson (in memory)Mathew GuidoDebbie HewlettJudy HilyardTherese HollidayLisa HoschlerRichard HoskinsTracy HowardBlaine HowittLance HowittChristine Hunter-RobertsonEd HydeKatherine IngramTobi JonesCliff JunoLily Myers Kaplan Kris KaufmannCindra KelloggOgden KelloggRuth KlausRosemary LazzariQuin Ley

Regina LinsdayToni LovagliaMeghan MacDonaldBill MansfieldDee MarlowKellyn MarshallBetty MartinAdam MarxCharlie McChesneyGary McConahayVanessa McNuttSally MillerMeg MocabeeLucinda MoegleinMark MoegleinBonnie MorganJan MurphyVickie MurraySherry NurreKim OvesonMargaret PashkoBeth PierceNicole PilgrimMichael RhoadesMike RichieAura RiechartLisa RobinoMarc Rosewood

Chuck RossThomas RussellMarla Samuel Lois SchlegelMeri SchneiderKristen SchuchTeresa SearleSuzanne SevereidCarolyn ShafferAsha SlaterCindy SleightJodie SnellerFern SnogrenShirley SouthDavid SpeigelLaura StanislawskiS.J.SwinyardRay ThomsonJim TitusTaira Torres Glyn TravisShelby WeitmanDoug WernerLynn WhitakerCassie WoodDwindy WoodRobert WoodhouseSarah Young

Volunteers support us in special ways to help fulfill our mission: facilitation of Children’s Program, Teen Pro-grams in the schools, adult support groups; sudden death support teams in schools; office help; event plan-

ning and set-up; art and music; community outreach, bereavement support training, Memorial Grove committee work, raffle donations, catering and more! We couldn’t do it without you!

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

Being with “Our People”

We are happy to introduce these amazing women to our team for children and teens. Chi Young Kim, WinterSpring’s Youth Program Coordinator, started

working with us in September 2015. Chi (pronounced “Gee”) came to us as a volunteer in 2014 and quickly impressed us with her gift for working with grieving people. She has her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, as well as additional training in psychotherapy. Her past experience includes public relations management for New York fashion companies, which clearly shows in her elegant style. When you reach Chi on the phone, you will experience her wonderfully calming nature as she listens to

your story of loss. Amanda Constable, WinterSpring’s Youth Support Staff, first came to us last September as an intern from SOU’s BA in Psychology program. Prior to going back to school, Amanda owned Traditions Elder Care where she managed a challenging residential care business, cared for adults during the end stages of their lives, and helped fami-lies with grief. Amanda brings all of this great companioning experience to our work with children, teens and fami-lies. After seeing how great she is at facilitation, we couldn’t very well send her off to find a different job, and so found funding to help hire her! Together, Chi and Amanda make a powerful team of support for kids and families. Their compassionate hearts, enthusiasm, and a quest for learning have helped us to keep growing our services to children and teens this year. Thank you for joining our WinterSpring family!

Jodie Sneller

After my husband and father to my two children died of cancer in 2013, it was difficult to know how to support my children, let alone, myself. At

the time of his death, I was living in Portland. I sought out help and attended the Dougy Center, a national center for grieving families. Upon the move to Medford, I knew that in order to support my now eight year old son, it was important that we find a community of people who understood what it meant to be a grieving child and the parent supporting that child. Along came WinterSpring.

My oldest son and I have joined a children’s program group. The support we receive has been key in enabling us to continue to process the weight

of our loss in an open and healthy way. I saw this demonstrated when my son’s eighth birthday happened to fall on the same night as our group. Truthfully, my son was hurting. The weight of another birthday without his dad seemed to hit him particularly hard this year. He wanted to go to the group, and then

he didn’t want to go to the group. He was struggling with the same push and pull that so many of us feel when grieving: the need for community and the draw of isolation. Uncertain as to what he needed, I told him that Win-terSpring was exactly where we should be on that night. He half-heartedly agreed to go and I crossed my fingers hoping that I was supporting him in the way he needed to be.

Being with “our people” that night provided the strength for me to support my son’s grief, but more importantly, it enabled him to openly talk about his dad, feel the sadness, but also the joy of being surrounded by his peers—

the kids who got it, the ones who know how he feels, the ones that could say you’re not alone. That night, as we were driving home, my son said, “Mom, I’m glad we went tonight. I had a really great birthday.”

There’s no shortcut in the grief process; there’s no magic pill that will ever make it all go away. But sometimes, it isn’t about making it go away, as much as it is about knowing that you’re

not alone. Loss and grief eventually touch us all, and while hard, it doesn’t have to be bad. With the processing of the pain, comes the ability to appreciate the love shared and a deeper gratitude for the joy felt, both then and now. It takes time, and for me and my boys, a community of people who share in the tears and the “aha” moments of our grief process.

I feel so strongly about the work being done by WinterSpring that I have joined the Board of Directors. I am so appreciative to be able to be part of WinterSpring and striving to make sure that adults and children don’t have

to grieve alone.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS !This is a list of donors who contributed to WinterSpring since our last newsletter. We try hard to keep accurate

records. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know so we can provide proper thanks and recognition.

INDIVIDUAL GIFTSAnne AinsworthF. J. & Carolyn BarrettAndy & Annette BatzerDavid & Marjorie BernardPoppie BeveridgeRod Birney & Suzanne NadlerPaul BoniniElizabeth (Betty) BranchMona & Donald CatoMike ClarkArt CoolidgeJoan Cresse & Rodney DixonMichael & Jody DatzAl & Sally DensmoreTom & Angel DeShaneRonald E.& Jean DurkeeChristine EberhardtJohn & Diane EngelhardtDan & Kathy FennellJulia GoforthWilliam & Bette HaberlachAllen HallmarkLinda HarrisJudy HilyardDouglas HustonPaul & Carol HwoschinskyMichelle JensenBruce & Carolyn JohnsonCindra & Ogden KelloggBill & Caroline KirkmanMichael KoesterRon & Katharine LangLois LangloisJohn & Nancy LintonJulie LockhartJeff & Corry LouieMarsha LovittMeghan MacdonaldJill MackiePatrick MacroryPam MakdissyBill MansfieldJoanne MarxSabrina McNeilSugar MejiaCandy MillerBonnie MorganMike & Jan MurphyCindy NagelPaul NashDawn NealValerie Neck & FamilySteven NeubergerMarlene OlsonJoy OlsonMaria-Cristina PageThomas PatersonSarah PaulGerry ProdyRoxanne RaeChuck & Kim M. Ross

Katherine RossDeborah RothschildDonald RubensteinSusan RustCathy SchleiningRuth SchmidtBarbara SemackJack & Sarah SeyboldCarolyn ShafferNancy SheaEileen ShingleLynn & Doris SjolundPatsy SmullinJodie SnellerSuzanna SniderKevin SnyderJoan SpearKathy SwantonLorraine F TaylorAnn TennysonBill & Angela ThorndikeJudy Ticehurst & Philip HickmanJim TitusDon & Elaine TurckeJoel & Robin TurgesenPatricia VanEveraCharles & Becky VersteegSheryl Wirts

In Memory Of… Given by…Sypko Andreae Carolyn ShafferKenneth L. Barger Dorothy ParkeFlorence Barkley Larry & Karen NollenbergerChristopher Michael Barrett Donna Barrett Mark & Carolyn Salter Nina WebbLaura Baxman Rusty (Betty Ann) ErbesJon Breedlove James, Monica & Megan BreedloveLois Brewer Shirley SouthJan Bronson Jim BronsonWillard Courtney Bradford Bryon Kathy BryonHank Collins Cydne Collins Dr. John Conwell Jean ConwellBill & Elsie Cooley Jan Cooley McChesneyCarl De Molt Kathy SwantonDon Denman William & Bette Haberlach

Frank Desimone Mark & Gwen Schiveley Carl Caplan & Ruth Ann SchwadaWanda Fadness Cydne CollinsDavid Patrick Fisher Shirley SouthJoseph Glenn Fjarli William & Laura WestermanPaul Gibson Juliana Coleman Rick Landt & Lynne Scionti Toni Lovaglia Tamara Rousso Shirley South John & Janie Stewart Joe WalkerRobert Goldberg Dolores GoldbergBob Gordon Kay KendallFred Gordon Patricia GordonChuck Hackett Donnis LausmannAlan Hamilton Barbara Donneaud Jill Mackie Betty MartinLois Hamilton Peter Donis Lin LudwigMarilyn Swinyard Havill Sharon SwinyardManville Heisel Sharon HeiselJudy Henderson Ralph W. HendersonPaul & Bema Herrick Anne Herrick-DienelMary Hicks (Grandma Mary) Tom & Angel DeShaneDawn Huttl Richard & Kathryn Gordon Leigh Johnson & Nancy Brewold-Johnson Randall & E. Jonelle Jones Robert & Phyllis StrosserLita Jans Steven NeubergerJohn Janet PendletonRoy Kimball Al & Sally Densmore Sheila KimballObadiah Isaac Knudson Tiffany M JacksonJerry S. Lausmann Donnis Lausmann Donna Kathryn Koshnick Lindley Andrea KoshnickLois & Dave Lily Myers KaplanBill Martin David A. & Beverly Sawyer Penelope Martin Sylvia S. ChatrouxEric Marx Adam & Leslie Marx

Rebecca Jo Mcilroy McKeever John & Carol WalkerDick McLaughlin Ramona J KearnsDylan McNeil Sabrina McNeilMerrily & Rea James & Janis BronsonWendy Eleanor Miles Janet Cooley McChesneyTed Millsap Harvey & Sheri Hwang Rick Murray Vickie MurrayMy Mother, Phyllis & My Grandpa, Joe Eliza & Brad KauderMary Nellist Diane PaceRobert Nurre Sherry NurreLeRoy & Mary Jo Owens Daniel OwensJohn Pace Diane PaceWilliam E. Page Maria-Cristina PageHarry Pardue Kenny & Karen VanoverRichard Dennis Pashko Margaret PashkoGladys Povey Joel & Robin TurgesenKyle Charles Ross Chuck & Susan RossEva Russell Mark & Gwen SchiveleyCharles Schiveley Mark & Gwen SchiveleyDjaruna Smith Debra Koutnik Pepper TrailElton & Wanda Smith Ron & Linda WilsonReneé Snider Suzanna Snider Bill Snyder Jr. Diane PaceEric Soares Nancy C. SoaresAl South Bill & Carol Nelson Shirley SouthMichael South Shirley SouthJason Stansberry Rusty ErbesRichard Strasser Jennifer DownsPatricia Tellini Sylvia S. ChatrouxAngelika Titus Jim TitusRan & Cinda Vanover Kenny & Karen VanoverGeraldine Wacholder Donald RubensteinJack Walker Andrea C. Walker

THANK YOU BUSINESSES & FOUNDATIONS!In Memory Of… Given by…John David Ware Diane WareBruce Warnock Dee EversEd Way Gloria WaySierra Zanger Tracy Parks Lamblin

In Kind Space & GiftsAngel DeShaneAsante Ashland Hospice Ashland YMCAHelene DeMartinezHorton PlazaHutter Pyschological Services, Pc - Denise HutterKid TimeMedford Parks and RecreationRogue Community Health - AshlandRogue Valley Family YMCARuth KlausSmullin Education Center

Check out our website at www.winterspring.org

Sign up for our e-newsletter on our home page.

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Business Donations:Academy VideoAction Auto RepairAmazon SmileBest Signs Inc.Dylan McNeil FoundationFred Meyer / KrogerGypsy SoulHarrison & BoniniKing Concessions - Dion RayLava Sports LLCPacific Source Health PlansPayneWestRogue Health LLCRogue Valley ManorSafeworld International Inc.Southern Oregon Loan Inc - Southern Oregon Pawn

Grant Supporters:Allcare CCO CareOregonCarpenter FoundationCarrico FoundationCommunity 101 at Eagle Point High School Cow Creek Umpqua Indian FoundationFord Family FoundationGordon Ellwood FoundationJerry and Donnis Lausmann FoundationMRG FoundationOregon Health Authority - Addictions & Mental HealthQualcomm Matching Grant ProgramSo. Oregon Friends Of HospiceUnited Way of Jackson County

In Honor Of… Given by…Kenneth J. Becker Safeworld International IncJoseph W. Barkley Jr. Larry & Karen NollenbergerSue Carroll Ron & Jean DurkeeCynthia Lily Myers KaplanAngel DeShane Kenny & Karen VanoverMyra & Alan Erwin Nancy SoaresBen Gibson Karen GreenDianne Helmer Dee EversLita Jans Steven NeubergerChi Young Kim Laura LoescherJulie Lockhart Diane GarciaCorinne Lombard Porter LombardDee Marlow Tom & Angel DeShaneJan Murphy Mike MurphyJay & Patricia Murray Duane & Margaret MurrayRev. John K. Rogers Larry & Karen NollenbergerEric Ross Schwartz Juli TeitelbaumShirley South Tim & Maggie McCartneyA., S., & Ronn Teitelbaum Juli TeitelbaumDwindy Wood PayneWest - Sarah Walsh

“When our grief

cannot be spoken,

it falls into the

shadow and

re-arises in us as

symptoms.”

~ Francis Weller, 2015

The Value of a Teen Support Group “It’s my fault that my mom died…” said a youth. Other teens at the support group chimed in with similar feelings of self-blame. Several of the kids had experi-enced a suicide loss and each, one-by-one, expressed the heartbreaking idea that they were somehow to blame. I suppressed my urge to immediately say, “NO, it’s not your fault!” With teens, it’s so important to honor their feelings and to normalize them. I paused to acknowledge what was in their hearts, and then said, “From where I’m standing, I know that it’s not your fault.” It takes more than just telling them; the intellect needs to meet the heart, and that takes time. And yet by feel-ing safe enough to express this, they are on their way to a brighter future, one where they can move through their difficult emotions and heal. This breakthrough moment represents the power of teen grief support groups. If one teen opens up to a deep feeling, then all have permission to share their darkest secret feelings, too. As facilitators, we never know when such a moment will happen, so we come to groups armed with activities that help them learn to cope; we keep the dialogue open for this type of sharing. And the wisdom that comes out of grieving kids is often so profound!

NONPROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 190MEDFORD, OR

WinterSpring P.O. Box 8169 Medford, OR 97501

Return Service Requested

Facing Loss, Embracing Life Again ~ Together

Adult and children group facilitation volunteers

neededCall Anya at

(541) 552 - 0620

Camp WinterSpringMay 13th—15th, 2016

for 6th, 7th, & 8th graders who have experienced a death

Call 541-552-0620with support fromPatsy Smullin

andCol. Dave Neck Youth Scholarship Fund

Join us for this year’s Seasons of the Heart at the Donahue-Frohnmayer Park in Medford

on May 21 at 1:00.The WinterSpring Memorial Grove is a place to gather in remembrance of those who are cherished and remain with us in our hearts even though they are no longer here on this earth.

(This is not Memorial Day weekend.)

17th Annual

Seasons of the Heart