Community Action
"In Service To
Humanity"
In 1987, a 17 year old girl took her life one
early morning. Little did I know at that time that
single event would have such a dramatic impact in my
life. I was a male role modeling figure for the
family and the one who assisted in all aspects of
her life and her grandmother’s. My undeniable shock
and grief in the aftermath of her death, helped
steer me in a direction which has been and continues
to be life altering.
I immediately began working an overnight shift at
our local community crisis hotline, so as to keep
one more teenager from dying. That phase of
volunteerism lasted 20 years. The following year
after Kelly’s death I helped form a weekly support
for folks who had lost a loved one to suicide. That
also has continued for 20 years and I am still
involved with today. Little did I know I would
experience the death of four more people to suicide,
one of which being this teens grandmother, four
years later.
In a much different venue, for quite a number of
years, I volunteered my services at our local
homeless shelter. I worked with both the male and
female population, bringing them different strategies
for streamlining their recovery process. It was so
rewarding to see them create a higher quality of
life, by looking at their situation differently. It
is so comforting to hear from a number of them years
later, who are putting these strategies to work
regularly and are accomplishing wonderful things, as
a result of our times together.
For all the years I owned and operated my child care
center, I had and continue bringing my workshop for
parents, workers, grandparents, foster parents, more
concentrated techniques for appropriately and more
effectively developing children. This is done
annually, however parents and workers who are in
need through the year have been welcome to call for
support.
With my coaching work, I do have the latitude to
arrange some gratuitous sessions for folks who are
in such desperate need. As with everything else, it
is always so nice to be able to give back. It is my
passion and privilege to work with family members in helping
them create a new and different life, in working
through the intense associated grief and pain of
their loved one’s death.
Click here for more info on
S A S: Surviving
After A Suicide Loss
Click here to Contact Bob
via email or call
(239)
591-1631. |