January 2016 Newsletter
Hello Barbara,
Happy New Year!
We’ve gotten started on what will hopefully be a great year for us all, and Chinese New Year is Feb 8th – year of the Monkey!
At A Butterfly’s Journey (ABJ), we’ve been busy! This 1st quarter is about new beginnings, renewals and providing help and resources to assist you to find a new normal. ABJ is now officially a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit corp!
We started and are still launching several new things in our 2016 plan, including the following: (meanwhile, check out our new ABJ Introduction video!)
Our mission is to help individuals and families who are struggling with grief after the loss of a child or other early traumatic loss — to find hope and a new normal. We also have resources to compliment other support organizations and we strive to elevate open discussion on the difficult topic of grief.
Our hope is to do this through free, discounted or by-donation services and resources – but we can only do that with your help! Your tax-deductible DONATIONS are much appreciated – Thank you!
Warning! Because this is launching a new biz & offerings, this newsletter is packed. We apologize, it won’t normally be this heavy. Use & Enjoy! :-)
Supporting your journey to a New Normal,
President & Executive Director, A Butterfly’s Journey
PS. Please forward this newsletter or ABJ site to help others. A complimentary 30-minute healing chat may also be scheduled HERE.
We’re changing our newsletter format a bit and would your feedback. We are launching a new series of video blogs and will include that link plus embed an article from our written blogs in each newsletter.
Video Blog (1st in a series):
MEET JEN – Topic: SUPPORT
Article:
Wow – what a line! … and what a song title!
…”Tell Your Heart To Beat Again!”
I came across this short video and beautiful song… I had a visceral reaction to it.
BLOG & SONG VIDEO
While the story behind it is not about grief… it could have been.
Once we’ve suffered traumatic loss like the loss of a child, grandchild, sibling or someone before their time… we feel like our heart has stopped. We don’t know how to restart it. But if we could, we would… I think. Most of us anyway… and that is what our deceased loved ones want – for us to be OK.
From another angle, it feels synonymous to when I talk about “choosing to heal”. That is kind of like saying “tell your heart to beat again.” or “I’m ready to heal, to find what works, to live again”.
Watch and listen to this lovely video and song by Danny Gokey and tell us what you think by commenting on the blog.
What’s ABJ up to ???
January:
- Officially launched ABJ as a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit
- Held 1st & 2nd Board meetings, added new board members
- Brainstormed repository of ideas with board, created 2016 plan
- Launched new site, Introduction video, Resource Ctr & Photo Gallery
- Created 13 videos with WeCast Productions
- will be added to & released over the course of 2016
- launched a new VIDEO BLOG series
- Added Instagram & Periscope to our Social Media exposure
- + find us on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest & YouTube
- Attended Business Intensive in Charleston, SC
- Put funding help in place from board & interviewing candidates
- TCF: Held local Jan. chapter meeting 1/25
Febrary 2016: (Mark your calendar!)
- SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 2/24 – Free ABJ Webinar
- “Finding a New Normal Through Love”
- SAVE THE DATE: Monday 2/29 – Leap Day fundraising dinner!
- Michael’s Harborside, % of ALL dinners donated to ABJ
- Ladies – invite your men1 :-) (Guys, you can invite too!)
- NEW: Teaching GRM 1-on-1 classes by phone (schedule HERE)
- Working on photo shoots & GRM classes in other locations
- Several new partners and resources
March 2016:
- SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 3/26 – Oceanfront RETREAT
- “Spring Renewal and Healing”
- workshops, speakers, lunch & optional beach walk
- SAVE THE DATE: Wed 3/30 – TELE-SUMMIT
- “Awaken to Happiness” with FREE GiFTS!
- Shefali Burns interviews Barbara
- NEW: VIRTUAL SUPPORT by phone/eMail available (schedule HERE)
- Attend 2-day business intensive in Atlanta
- Working on Peer Support certification
Q2 2016 and beyond:
- Group GRM (Grief Recovery) class at Roots -To-Wings Yoga Studio
- Thursdays 4/7 through May 26, 6:30 – 8:30 PM (1st Floor)
- Planned Webinar (April) “Choosing To Heal”
- Planner Partner Event:(TBD) Writing Retreat
- Attending 3-day business conference in Atlanta (April)
- Planned Event: (May) “Healing Through Photography”
- Planned TCF chapter Anniversary Event (May)
- TCF National Conference – July 8-10, Scottsdale, AZ
- Planned Spirituality themed webinar & events in Q3
- Mitch Carmody’s Grief Cruise to the Bahamas (Sept)
- Planned “Hike to Heal” with Brandy Sales/Wecast Productions – (~Sept)
- Planned Self-Care themed webinar & events in Q4
The ABJ Resource Center is FREE to anyone who signs up. We want to keep growing it to make it comprehensive and serve many types of grievers. It is not specific to ours or anyone’s organization.
We would love feedback on what is useful, what is not and new ideas – we are just getting started. :-)
Will you help others?
What things helped you?
Who made a difference?
Are you willing to share it?
Currently, there are 8 categories in our Resource Center:
- Audios & Videos
- Books & Publications
- Groups & Organizations
- Miscellaneous
- Music
- Self-Care & Tools
- Seminars & Workshops
- Spirituality
Please let us know your ideas by reply or CONTACT US.
- Name, Title or Organization of resource
- Link where resource can be found or purchased
- A short description of the resource & how it helped you
Thank you!
The RC is used in at least three (3) ways:
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-
- An individual Do-It-Yourself Reference Library
- Resources for ABJ’s Virtual Support program
- As a Resource Library for other organizations
Our Story
A Butterfly’s Journey (ABJ) has a mission to help individuals and families struggling with grief after the loss of a child, or other early loss, to find hope and a new normal. We do that through events, grief recovery classes, a comprehensive online Resource Center, and our photo shoots to allow grievers to express themselves simply, visually and emotionally to spark discussion. We also provide assistance to other organizations through education and resources.
Barbara J Hopkinson, ABJ Founder, President & Executive Director has lost 3 children and led bereaved families through the journey of grief for more than 12 years. She founded and leads a chapter of The Compassionate Friends, as well as A Butterfly’s Journey To A New Normal. She is certified Grief Recovery Specialist and author of two books “A Butterfly’s Journey” & “FAITH – Vol.II”
(Whew! … lots of new stuff, won’t usually be this packed!)
For more information, visit the ABJ web site
Contact Barbara at 617-410-6309 or barbara@abutterflysjourney.com for a complimentary 30-minute conversation or schedule it HERE.
If you found this blog to be helpful, or know someone it would help, please SHARE and be sure to LIKE/Follow us – Thank you!
Please consider helping grievers
with a tax-deductible donation.
Thank you!
