Annual Family Picnic

The annual picnic July 23, 2009, was an evening of great food and fun. Families who participate in support groups at Lost & Found gathered with volunteers to enjoy an evening of relaxation and food. Board members Shawn Askinosie, John Gentry, Greg Huntsman, and Richard Walters grilled more than 100 hamburgers and brats.

Children enjoyed bounce houses donated by Amberg Entertainment and the Jones Family Y, as well as games directed by Y staff. The evening concluded with a balloon release in memory of loved ones.

Thanks to Springfield Grocers, Lost & Found Advisory Council members, and the ladies from Asbury United Methodist Church for donating food and drink. Thanks to our faithful volunteers for setting up, serving, and cleaning up.

A special thanks to Vivian who organized and coordinated the entire event!!

Lost & Found 2009 Charity Golf Tournament

Lost & Found's annual charity Golf Tournament was June 26 at Hickory Hills Country Club. Golfers were treated to a wonderful day of great food, drinks, golf, and fun in a 4-person scramble. After a day in the sun & heat on the course, golfers were treated to Duds 'n Suds on the terrace at Hickory, where wards were given for winners in each flight.

Thanks to presenting sponsor Joe Manzardo, Springfield Striping & Sealing, Ozarks Coca-Cola for providing drink products at various holes, and to all hole and team sponsors. We appreciate your support that helps us provide free grief support services to children.

Sign up now for the 2010 tournament. Contact Holly McGee at 417-865-9998.

The Randy Bacon Project

Recognized photographer, Randy Bacon, will unveil the Lost & Found Photo Exhibit during the August 7, 2009 FIRST FRIDAY Art Walk at his studio (Randy Bacon Photography Studio & Gallery, in the Monarch Art Factory) located at 600 W. College Street in Springfield, MO. Over 40 families receiving grief support services from Lost & Found participated in a photo exhibit to share their stories on the journey of grief. The Lost & Found support groups met in the Randy Bacon Studio for a two-week period sharing their experiences as a part of a community of grieving families and received encouragement from one another during this process.

Group activities centered on sharing pictures, mementos and memories of the deceased. Each family took part in a professional photo session with some families including pictures or special mementos of their loved one. The photo exhibition will share the stories from each family. Their personal stories and photos reflect upon their emotional struggles, steps towards healing, and embracing a new life that will be forever changed.

A special reception will be held for the participating families to honor their strength and resilience in their journey to find hope through their grief with each family receiving a framed portrait from their photo session. The reception will take place at the Randy Bacon Photography Studio & Gallery on Thursday, August 6, 2009, the evening before the unveiling of the exhibit to the community. The guests will include the participating families, photo exhibit donors and sponsors, Lost & Found volunteers and Board of Directors along with community supporters of Lost & Found.

New Adult Groups at Lost & Found

Lost & Found has added two new adult groups that continue to grow and allow us to provide grief support to a broader age range.

Young Adult Group -- Ages 18- to thirty something
This group is for young adults grieving the death of a family member. It meets the 2nd & 4th Wed. of each month in the evening. For more information, see previous posts on this blog. Also, check out the blog for that group by clicking HERE

Older Adult Group
This group is for adults grieving the death of a spouse of many years or an adult child. It meets the 1st & 3rd Wed. of each month at 1:00

If you are interested in joining us for any of our support groups, just call
417-865-9998

Young Adult Group

Our Young Adult Group, for those ages 18-30 who are grieving the death of a loved one began meeting in September. We will soon begin a combination format of face-to-face meetings, as well as sharing thoughts via the blog.

If you are interested in joining this support group, please post your comment to the question below. To learn about the actual meeting times, please call Lost & Found at 417-865-9998.

Our first topic of discussion:

The death of a loved one is difficult at any age as we struggle to adjust to the reality that the loved one is no longer with us and as we figure out how to incorporate that loss into our lives. Let's talk about what makes your loss especially difficult at this time in your life. What do you miss the most? What adjustments are you making in your life?

Young Adult Group

At Lost & Found we are always trying to think of more ways to meet the need of grieving people in the Springfield area. I'm sure the list is not only extensive, but endless. One thing we try to do is listen carefully to the people who contact us for help. We started to notice last year that we kept receiving calls asking about a college/young adult aged group. Although Lost & Found has been completely devoted to children's services, the requests became so great, that we felt as though we had to expand our services to meet the needs of the young adult population in Springfield.

With all of that said, we understand that it can be nerve racking to commit to attending a support group for grief, when all of the specifics have yet to be addressed. For this reason, we are holding an informational session at Lost & Found on September 10 at 5:30 p.m. Please come meet our staff, ask questions, and enjoy some refreshments on us.

If you have any questions or if you need directions, please contact Lost & Found at 417.865.9998. We hope to see you there!

Check out our new look!

Recently, the Conor House had some cosmetic work performed. We are excited about the new look, and wanted to make you aware of it. A special thanks to those who have made donations specifically to the Conor House project, and to those who helped with the labor. This upgrade is made possibly by so many generous people within our community. We are SO excited about this new look. We hope it feels even more comfortable and homey to those who attend our support groups.