A Message from Rhonda...
You Need not walk alone
Taking that first step to reach out for support after a loss is very difficult. I understand. I have made it my life's mission to walk alongside bereaved families and help them navigate the wilderness of grief. I will companion you and help guide you to a peaceful path. Please reach out to me to learn more.
Candlelight Remembrance: ceremony & fellowship - December
”That their light May Always Shine…”
The OASIS program is designed specifically to honor the lives of our loved ones lost to substance-related causes. Members of the community and leaders from various faiths come together in an ecumenical gathering to remember them.
Inspired by the Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candlelighting
This special remembrance unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandchildren gone too soon.
2023 Candlelight Remembrance Event
2023 Candlelight Remembrance Event
Held on December 17, the 2023 remembrance service was conducted by local faith leaders led by Rev. Rich Mollica and was held in the renovated barn next to OASIS. A fellowship hour with refreshments was enjoyed following the service in the OASIS farmhouse.
2024 Candlelight Remembrance Event
2023 Candlelight Remembrance Event
Sunday, December 8th, 2024
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Our moving interfaith candlelight remembrance will be led by Rev. Rich Mollica, senior pastor at St. John’s UCC Bethlehem Township and featuring inspirational live music.
Register by Dec. 1st
Remembrance and healing: serenity retreat - May
Healing Hearts: For Bereaved Women Who Lost a Loved One in the Opioid Crisis - 2023
Held at St. Francis Center for Renewal in Bethlehem, PA
Healing Hearts: For Bereaved Women Who Lost a Loved One in the Opioid Crisis - 2024
Held at The Hearth at Heyer's Mill in Nazareth, PA
Virtual Meetings - specific to substance loss
- Bereaved Parents of the USA (online also)
- The Hanley Foundation (biweekly)
- The Herron Project (weekly; led by licensed clinicians)
- Love In the Trenches (bi-weekly)
- Partnership to End Addiction
- The Sun Will Rise
- Nar-Anon Hope After Loss (12-step program)
In-Person Meetings - local chapters
- OASIS Community Center Grief Support Groups
- GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing)
- Compassionate Friends (for parents, grandparents, and siblings)
- Griefshare (faith based; online also)
- Grief Support Group - St. Theresa Parish (faith-based, any type of loss)
- Lehigh Valley Health Network
- St. Luke’s Hospice Grief Support
Online: Social Media / Chats / Forums / Podcasts
- After the Storm: Grief Support from Loss through Addiction (Facebook group)
- AfterTalk: Write. Share. Always There.
- Forums - Grief Healing Discussion Groups (monitored)
- Grieving.com (support for all types of loss & grief)
- Online Grief Support - A Social Community
- Partnership to End Addition (Hope & Help by Text for loss)
- Team Sharing, Inc. / PA Facebook group
- Open Hope Support for Dealing with Death, Grief, Loss, Bereavement
- While We’re Waiting (faith-based Facebook group for bereaved parents)
Grief Supports for Young Adults
General
- Actively Moving Forward (18-30 yrs)
- Comfort Zone Camp (18-25 yrs)
- The Dinner Party (21-45 yrs)
- Hope Again - Young People Living After Loss
- Highmark Caring Place: Virtual Young Adult Grief Support Group
Sibling Loss
- Compassionate Friends (Facebook group; substance-related loss)
- The Sounds of the Siblings (Facebook group)
Grief Supports for Children
A Pathway to Healing Counseling Services - group for adolescents grieving parents OD or suicide death
- Comfort Zone Camp, Inc. - Serves children ages 7-17 who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver; any type of death
- Eluna Network - Supports children and families impacted by grief and/or addiction.
- Camp Erin Philadelphia - for kids ages 6 to 17 grieving the death of a significant person in their life; any type of death
- Camp Mariposa Philadelphia - addiction prevention program for kids ages 9 to 12, affected by the substance use of a family member
- National Alliance for Grieving Children
- Peter's Place
- Rainbows for Children
- St. Luke's Visiting Nurse Association Hospice
- School District ‘s Student Assistance Program (SAP) liaison services Northampton and Lehigh County school districts - contact OASIS Staff for referral
Bereavement Retreats
- Crystal's Heart Healing House (for mothers who've lost a child to substance use)
- Love Mama Grief Retreat - hosted by Dr. Laura Berman (loss of a child)
- The Onsite Foundation - Life After Loss: Healing for Grieving Parents
(any kind of loss; scholarships available)
(faith-based retreats throughout the U.S. - FREE - any type of loss)
Additional Grief Supports
General:
- Grief Healing
- Grieving.com
- Heal Grief - tools & resources for a healthy post-bereavement growth
- Hospice Foundation of America
- MISS Foundation - support for bereaved/grieving parents & families
Other Sources:
- Clinicians (counselors, therapist, social workers) www.psychologytoday.com
- Community remembrance events
- Faith communities (clergy; lay-trained caregivers)
- Funeral homes (after care staff)
- Hospital bereavement services
- Meet-Up (special interest) groups
- Professional peer support/coaches
- State Department of Drug and Alcohol
- County Human Services Department and Coroner’s office
Suicide Loss - groups and resources
- Alliance of Hope
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- The Hanley Foundation - Project Hope suicide loss support group
- Prevent Suicide PA
- Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE)
- While We're Waiting (faith-based Facebook group; Parents Touched by Suicide)
Survivors of Suicide Loss - Local Support Groups:
Lehigh Valley Health Network
2545 Schoenersville Rd.
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(484) 330-0912
Contact Person: Marie Bartos afsplv@gmail.com
Meets first Tuesday of each month 7:00-8:00pm
~and~
Cedar Church
3419 Broadway
Allentown, PA 18104
Contact Person: Mary Youtz myoutz1@ptd.net
Meets third Thursday of the month 7:00-8:30pm
grief books (many titles in Oasis lending library)
Books for Adults
Beyond Tears: Living After Losing a Child – Ellen Mitchell
Experiencing Grief – H. Norman Wright
From Heroin to Hope: Making Sense of the Loss of a Child – Marsha I. Wiggins, Ph.D.
Good Grief – Granger E. Westberg
Grief is a journey: Finding Your Path Through Loss – Dr. Kenneth J. Doka
Grieving Mindfully – Sameet M. Kumar., Ph.D.
How to Survive the Loss of a Child – Catherine M. Sanders, Ph.D.
If You're Afraid of the Dark Remember the Night Rainbow – Cooper Edens
Journey to a New Beginning After A Loss – Scott Reall
Journeying through Grief Series – Kenneth C. Haugk
Book 1: A Time to Grieve
Book 2: Experiencing Grief
Book 3: Finding Hope and Healing
Lament for a Son – Nicholas Wolterstorff
Letters to Matt – A mother's tender journey… – Marybeth Cichocki, R.N
Life After the Death of My Son – Dennis L. Apple
Living With Grief After Sudden Loss – Hospice Foundation of American
Losing Jonathan – Robert & Linda Waxler
Loving from the Outside In Mourning from the Inside Out – Alan D. Wolfelt, PH.D
Moving Beyond Loss – Russel Friedman and John W. James
On Death and Dying – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
On Grief and Grieving – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross., M.D & David Kessler
Permission to Mourn – Tom Zuba
Shattered: Surviving the Loss of a Child – Gary Roe
Surviving the Holidays – Grief Share
The Mask: A Father's Reflections of Loss – Dr. Michael R. Burcham
A Time to Grieve – Carol Staudacher
Transcending Loss – Ashley Davis Bush
Understanding Your Grief – Alan D. Wolfelt, PH.D
The Unspeakable Loss – Nisha Zenoff, Ph.D.
Welcome to the Tribe Sorry You're with Us – SEK
When A Child Dies from Drugs – Patricia & Russ Wittberger
When Children Grieve – John W. James & Russell Friedman
You are the Mother of all Mothers – Angela Miller
Books for Children
Addie's Mom Isn't Home Anymore – Genia Calvin
The Colors of Love and Loss - Dr. Joanne Cacciatore (free download)
If You're Afraid of the Dark Remember the Night Rainbow – Cooper Edens
The Invisible String – Patrice Karst
The Invisible String Workbook – Patrice Karst & Dana Wyss
Mama Paca My Heart Won't Let You Go – Sarah Cloud
My Yellow Balloon – Tiffany Papageorge
Someone I Love Died from a Drug Overdose – Melody Ray
Tear Soup - A Recipe for Healing After Loss – Pat Schweibert & Chuck DeKylen
The Memory Book - A Greif Journal for Children and Families – Joanna Rowland
Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children – Doris Stickney
When Someone Very Special Dies – Marge Heegaard