Grief support group forming in Grant this month

Losing a loved one to death is one of the hardest things people will experience in life, and that loss makes a large impact on a person. It is easy for people to forget that they are not alone in this struggle with grief and loss.

After experiencing the loss of his parents, Dan Farnam found he was hit hardest when he lost his son in a car accident two years ago. According to Farnam, losing a child is particularly difficult, because when you lose a parent that is the natural order of things. “But your child becomes your identity,” he said. “When you lose a child it’s like… What do I do now? It changes you.”

He has since noticed many people in the area are suffering from recent losses as well, including his wife Karen, who lost her father earlier this year. While there are support groups in the area to aid those with grief, there is not a group in Grant that pertains specifically to the death of a loved one.

Farnam may not have experience with leading a group for loss, but he has found that support groups he has attended in the past have helped him move forward from his struggles. Because of this, he felt it would be beneficial to have a support group for grief in Grant.

The group will use texts from the organization GriefShare, a Christian group that strives to aid people in moving forward with their grief after a loss. From mourning to joy, the journey of grief, and getting stuck in grief are just a few of the subjects to be discussed over the course of the 13-week GriefShare program.

The confidential group is free of charge, and all who are trying to move forward from the loss of a loved one, regardless of age or who was lost, may feel free to attend these meetings. 

Farnam insists that whatever is said in the support group stays within the support group. This is to help attendees feel safe in sharing their stories with others, judgement free.

The group will meet on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. beginning on Oct. 21. The meetings will be located at Midwest Electric at 104 Washington Ave. in Grant.

For more information, you can contact Dan Farnam at 308-352-8109.