News Articles, Newsletters, Television Coverage.
A Little About My Ministry Healinghearts.
Written 2005 - God gave me a ministry "Healinghearts" which began as a calling from the Lord when our Michelle parted in 1993. I was writing to parents whose child had parted when I read of their children's obituaries in the newspaper. I did not have Internet in the early to mid nineties so all was written and sent snail mail for many years. I composed, drew pictures, made hundreds of copies and mailed the newsletters out to a list of bereaved families I had met, for five years. I started with 25 families and my newsletter grew to reach 300 familes.
During that interim I was interviewed for and appeared in the newspaper as well on radio and television. I am sharing some of these articles and pictures with you on the next two pages. I was very honored when Patty Duke helped me hold up our National Kidney Foundation Quilt I had sent for from New York for the Spokane Washington area to see. Since our Michelle was a cornea and organ donor she is at the National Kidney Foundations website as well with her quilt square displayed there along with other donors and I will share that link with you.
In the Spring of 1998 I got started online with the Internet. I continued to send the newsletter mailings for Healinghearts until 2000. Then in 2000 I switched to an online only ministry continuing with our Healinghearts Grief Group which was originally via msn groups in 1999 and then from May 2000 and to date via yahoo groups.
When I started online I taught myself how to do websites. The first websites I created were in 1998, one devoted to our Angel Michelle and the other devoted to our Angels online.
Later I created two more websites, one for more of our Angels and another for Michelle and our family. Webwork is never complete or done so I continue to add things from time to time.
My ministry keeps me very busy which is why I had to nearly stop doing websites and webpages for bereaved moms in 2000. Though I still do an occasional web site for others in grief. I did help Maria Faller get started with websites and I appreciate her loving heart in continuing to devote her extra time to creating sites for other bereaved parents, to this very day.
I was also a contributing Editor for The National Kidney Foundation of New York for 3 years with their newsletter FOR THOSE WHO GIVE AND GRIEVE since our Michelle was an organ donor.
I have never had a career except wifehood (married to the same wonderful man since 1977) and motherhood, my work has always consisted of volunteering. At school where our children attended I was a McGruff Coordinator, on the PTA Board, and a Teachers Aid..For our community I was on the Steering Committee Board and Chairman of Blockwatch which covered a 30 block radius including our own.
I volunteered for the Red Cross and Heart Association. I taught 3rd grade Sunday School and Junior Church and was an Awana Leader for nine years at the church we attended for ten years and where our three children were baptised and were Awana Members. I also attended a Ladies Bible study for seven years. Little did I know throughout all those years that all these experiences would some day help me to become a minister to help bereaved parents.
I have contributed to several books on the subject of grief and continue to focus on helping other bereaved moms who are wounded and new to this path. I have met some awesome people and even had a couple authors in our email group for a time. Judy Guggenheim stayed with us awhile and we were honored as she was working on compiling a new book and though not bereaved herself she wanted some of our input.
I have written many poems and quotes, most of which I never copyrighted but have stored for a possible future book.
Even though it will be 12 years for me this Fall I still live with grief every day, make the most of the days and continue to try to help others new in their grief because this is a hard road to hoe and i remember how lost I was 12 years ago. I also know all too well that we NEVER get over the parting of our child but we DO get on with life the best that we can.
I am no where near in pain like I was at first but yet bad as my memory can be I remember well how I thought life had surely come to an end that November day in 1993 when Michelle was struck by a car trying to board her school bus. We are forever changed.
I am here to encourage, enlighten and maintain faithful friendships with my old faithful bereaved pals too who understand this road, and though it is not always easy it is what God has me to do.
If any of you are interested in joining my online grief group for Mothers "Healinghearts" please email CindyJo at michellesmama@hotmail.com
With love, CindyJo
Interview with Spokesman Review December 1997
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March 18th 2005
CindyJo Greever copyrite © 2005 michellesmama@hotmail.com
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