GROWW E-Mail Newsletter
December 15, 2002	Volume 1, Number 2
Editor GROWW Officers · Anne D’Ambrosio, Executive Director · Ted A. Modjeski Jr. Deputy Director GROWW Staff · Libby Morningstar, Director of Branches · Pat Sirni, Grief Recovery Room Manager · Rachel Frank, Message Board Manager · Phil D’Ambrosio, Director of Security	Message from the Executive Director Anne D’Ambrosio ((((((((((( Friends ))))))))) Another year is almost over. For some of us it’s going to be our first New Years coming up and you’re not sure what lies ahead, stay with us, we’ll hold you up and help you along the path of grief. For some of us, we survived another year and are getting better at adjusting to our new lives. To all of you, I wish everyone some peace and joy during this holiday season. Someone asked me a question last night, which brings up my topic for this article. We were talking about Holiday spirit and who was done their shopping and someone asked if I was done. I said yes, and then preceded to say I did all my shopping through Igive, this is the first time I have ever done that. I remember joining Igive a few years back was very really hard to track what I bought and how it got donated. I signed up again this year and it was really simple. I did all my shopping while the turkey was cooking on Thanksgiving. So, I said I donated money to GROWW and it didn’t even cost me a penny. Then, someone asked why does GROWW need money and I thought to myself wow, people don’t know what goes on here. We don’t beg for money and there is no charge to be a member of GROWW that was one of Judy’s pet peeves, we’ve already paid the highest price to join this club. There are no dues or membership fees and there never will be. GROWW is supported by donations, we have t-shirts and mugs and Christmas ornaments and mouse pads that were paid for by some generous members and whenever we sell some GROWW “stuff” the profits go back into the GROWW checking account. Some of the things GROWW needs money for, first and foremost are the chat rooms and message boards. There are small monthly maintenance fees for the chat rooms and we just updated the message boards, which you wouldn’t notice, but have you noticed that they don’t go down as much as they used to, it all costs money. We want to do advertising in a small way to start; we are in the process of printing new GROWW brochures to send to funeral homes and hospice centers and hospitals. We are very grateful to a member who can help us cut costs because her family owns a printing company. We pay for postage to mail the brochures to these places. We pay for a mailbox for GROWW, a checking account fee and fees that are incurred every month so that we can accept charge cards for donations and purchases. Right now we are on a shoestring budget, there is no paid staff. The chat rooms are paid thru April 2003. We would like to pay the year in advance there is a significant saving if we do not have to pay for it monthly. Please, if at all possible, shop through Igive, it’s free and it helps, every little bit counts. Visit www.helpgroww.com see what we have for sale and how you can make a donation IF you can. Remember, there are no dues, no charges ever, but if you find yourself in a position to give a little back we would surely appreciate it. Happy Holidays and Happy New Years to All. (((((((( AnneGD ))))))))) Meet Your Host - GRHostCat Cathy  has been a GROWW host for over 5 years.   She volunteers her time unselfishly in Grief Recovery, Widowed ,and Unexpected Angels, where she is also the co-manager.  A busy mom of two teenagers, she lives in Michigan, "way out in the boonies".    She says some of her GROWW friends like to say she lives in "Hooterville".   In addition to her son, who is 17 and a high school senior, and her daughter who is 14, she shares her home with 2 German Shepards, a Brittany spaniel,  and  7 cats. Widowed since 1996, Cathy has suffered multiple losses including her parents, grandparents and several aunts and uncles.  She purchased a computer 3 weeks after losing her husband, found the widow/widower room on AOL, where she met "a wonderful lady named Judy Divers".   Cathy followed Judy to GROWW and has been active since the beginning.  One of her fondest memories is meeting Judy in person.  She credits her children and Judy with helping her to survive the pain of her losses.  Cathy has special memories of GROWW gatherings, which her children have attended as well.  She fondly recalls "hot tubs….. super soaker fights……..sling shots with marshmallows as ammo……..the conga line in the Poconos, and last, but certainly not least the "Yo Blondie" from Jim K, who gave fabulous hugs". When asked what is  her advice to someone just starting to walk this path of grief, Cathy replies " take it slow, there are no "quick fixes" to grief as much as we’d like one… be gentle with yourself, expect the unexpected, especially in terms of emotions/feelings.  And always remember what you are feeling is NORMAL, you are not insane and you are NOT alone".  GROWW is blessed to have Cathy as a friend and host.  The countless hours that she has given, the care and concern that she shows to each and every  person in the chatroom  would make her friend Judy Divers very proud.  Message from the Director of Branches - Libby Morningstar As we start another edition of GROWW news I wanted to share this month about a couple of our rooms making changes.  To start, I am pleased to say that our Guiding for Youth room has now reopened one day a week.  The room is designed for youth to age 18, who have experienced the death of a loved one.  It is currently being hosted by your staff at GROWW.......We feel very strongly that the kids need a place to share with their peers and we are in the hopes we can build a following again.  I have a very special place in my heart for this room.  Children need to know it is OK to cry, to be angry, they need to know it is OK to feel sad, it is OK to feel happy .....it is OK to be a kid.  I would encourage anyone with children to allow them to visit our Guiding for Youth.  It is open Thursday evenings, 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST.   The other room that will be opening soon for your use would be our Enabled Angels.  This room deals with the very sensitive subject of drug/alcohol abuse and the loss of a loved one to such.  A majority of the room's makeup currently is of those who lost a spouse/significant other to drugs and alcohol usage.  We also get those who lost a child to abuse, and they also can attend out Angels of Addiction room.  Also, within this room we have some who themselves are dealing with abuse and also death of the loved one. Look for this room to be reopened Friday, January 10, 2003.  The room will require a password and we are working on a process for you to receive it.  If interested you can notify me at Star001@ameritech.net and we will be sure to include you in the mailing process.  BE SURE to watch for changes to Enabled Angels.  We will be contacting those who showed an interest in  visiting this room.  Guest Columnist – Diane aka MauiMama Aloha! My name is Diane aka MauiMama and I along with MaxzMom would like to extend an open invitation to join us this year and every year on Dec. 3rd for our World Wide Balloon/Butterfly Release to honor and celebrate the lives and memory of our children. It is a day we can unite together in love and support for one another. The Holidays can be a crushing time for all of us and this Event gives us a chance to participate in something positive and uplifting. There is a sign up list on the Heavenly Angels message board entitled "Balloon Release 2003". Please state your first name, your child's first and last name and the city and state you will be releasing your balloons from. From time to time, every two weeks or so, the list will be updated and transferred to  Balloon Release.com Memorial events and support group for grieving parents and child-loss survivors. Here on Maui, a series of Events take place. Your child's name will be read aloud at the Sunrise Name Recital from the top of Haleakela, our volcano here. There is a Celebration of Life Ceremony performed by members of my own Kihei Canoe Club, Hawaiian style. A hike and Butterfly Release done at Twin Falls. Finally on Dec. 3rd, a small Balloon Release at Hookipa. In 2002, we had 707 signups, balloons went up from all over the world! To be a part of the Balloon Release is to be a part of a positive event that is so much larger then one person's grief, it is to know comfort and most of all hope. Please join us in 2003 and if you can make it to Maui for the first week of December, I strongly urge you to do so and make sure you contact myself or Cecilia at:                           mauimama@balloonrelease.com maxzmom@balloonrelease.co Love and Alohas, Diane aka MauiMama, Mom to Mikey, forever 13
GROWW, INC.© Judy Divers 11877 Douglas Rd - #102-PMB101 - Alpharetta GA 30005 501(c)(3) Non-Profit EIN: 59-3445877	Chatroom Etiquette – Pat Sirni Chatroom Etiquette Many of us remember our first few visits to the chatrooms and how overwhelmed we were with our grief and with the sometimes frantic pace of the rooms.   And who could  forget how confusing all those abbreviations were!  As we  become more comfortable in the rooms,  and make so many friends,  we sometimes forget about the newbie sitting with us.  We must always  remember that the most important person in the room is the one who is in pain at the moment, and asking for our help and attention.   We understand that people are at various stages in the grief process, and that some very strong friendships have been formed in the chatrooms.   It is wonderful when someone laughs for the first time in our rooms, when they thought they would never be able to laugh again.  But sometimes, the laughter and joviality offends the new person in the room and they feel left out and unwelcome.  Many of you may be unaware that GROWW offers a second room for both Grief Recovery main chat room and for GROWW for Widowed as well.  HOMEGROWWN is open to all loses and GROWW for Widowed 2 is open for widowed only.  These rooms are unhosted, and they are meant for fellowship and camaraderie.   GROWW for Widowed 2 is  hosted on Thursday evenings from 9 to 10 p.m. If the main room is very busy with new people and you want to chat and laugh with your friends, we invite you to make use of HOMEGROWWN and  GROWW for Widowed 2.  If a problem ever occurs in one of these rooms, please do not hesitate to contact the host  in the main chatroom for assistance.  Featured Webpage – Ted Modjeski Our chat index page at http://www.groww.org/chatindex.htm lists all our rooms and the times they meet. Each entry on the page is a link to the particular chatroom. This is an easy and convenient way to see when branches are meeting. Also near the top of the page is a help section with a pulldown menu. Instructions are available for accessing our chatrooms with different types of browsers as well as WebTV. Please check out this page and I am sure many will find it useful enough to include it as a bookmark. We are constantly upgrading and updating our site. Currently we are in the process of changing the music on all the pages. If you would like to suggest a particular song please send the recommendation in midi format along with a brief message of which page you think it would be most appropriate to WebMaster@groww.org Phil’s Fix It Corner - Phil D’Ambrosio As most of us know getting a kitchen appliance repaired can be costly. Most times it may be something most of us can do ourselves without having to call someone in to make the fix. If you are not comfortable in attempting the repair, by all means call in a qualified repairman. Just a coupla suggestion that may help. Garbage Disposals If your disposal is overly noisy, hums but doesn't run, or stops before you turn it off, it is probably jammed or clogged. To clear a jammed disposal, first ensure the power is off. Find your owner's manual and check for cleaning instructions. Look on the bottom of the disposal for a hexagonal-shaped hole; if there is one, find a hex wrench that will fit it, usually this wrench comes with the disposal. Put the hex wrench in the hole and rotate the wrench back and forth to free the obstruction. Note: Some of the newer models have a reversing switch that accomplishes the same action. If these tactics don't work, try loosening the jam or the clogged material from above with a broom handle angled against the impeller blade. Work the handle back and forth gently until the jam is dislodged. If something has been put in the disposal that shouldn't have been, including metal, rubber, or glass objects, or fibrous food waste such as artichoke leaves or banana peels, use tongs or pliers to pull the material out. Never use your hand. Kitchen Ranges The key to keeping a kitchen range operating properly is to clean it regularly. Beyond basic maintenance, only a couple of repair jobs are within the skills of most homeowners; the rest require a thorough understanding of the appliance. With the help of an owner's manual, you can replace door gaskets, adjust the feet beneath a range to correct for uneven cooking, and relight a pilot. Of course, you can also reposition racks if foods are cooking unevenly and you can check cords, circuit breakers, and fuses. If your range or oven has an electric element that you know is faulty, replacing it is usually fairly easy. Be sure to disconnect the power first. Then, unscrew the screws holding it in place and take it to an appliance parts store to get an exact replacement, and reinstall. Don't forget to reconnect the power when you're finished. I hope these tips help out a few folks. It’s always nice to save a few bucks and feel good about doing something you thought was harder than it seemed. HelpGROWW– Ted Modjeski Did you know you can shop at hundreds of online stores and help GROWW as well? iGive offers just that service. iGive sends a donation to GROWW of up to 25% of all purchase made by our member. Why Join iGive? In a Nutshell Shop great stores you know and love. Save money with exclusive coupons & deals. Help your favorite cause with every purchase. Oh, and it´s free. Excellent Prices Over 414 top merchants at the Mall offer spectacular prices and exclusive member deals on everything from music to pet supplies! Here are just a few iGive.com stores you may have heard of... Amazon.com -- JCPenney.com -- EddieBauer.com -- CDNow.com Barnes&Noble.com -- Gap.com -- Lands´ End.com -- Walmart.com It´s Free.  Always. There´s no cost or obligation for you or your cause. Virtuous Shopping Your everyday online shopping raises up to 25% your favorite cause! Virtual Karma You can list and support your favorite cause, track your earnings, and even see a complete list of checks sent to your cause! Six Degrees of Donation We´ll give you a $1 for each referral you make who shops, plus $1 for each shopper your friends refer--out through 6 degrees of referrals. Verifications are automatic, and there's currently a special deal going...$5 for GROWW for each new member that joins/shops before Dec. 31. You can visit the iGive site at http://www.igive.com/html/intro.cfm To unsubscribe to this email click reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line. For questions about this Newsletter or to submit an article, email newsletter@groww.org