Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

Everett Evison lost his wife four months ago. He is now working with his church to bring a grief support group to Slave Lake.

“There’s such a need for it in Slave Lake and area,” he says.

GriefShare is a world-wide grief recovery program.

“It’s a help and encouragement after the death of a loved one,” says Evison. “Designed to help people rebuild their lives.”

Until this one starts in Slave Lake, the closest one is in Edmonton. It is Christian-based, but people do not have to be religious or Christian to attend.

“We want everyone to get involved,” says Evison. “Anything we can do to help Slave Lake and the people that are hurting, that is what we want to do.”

At the moment, the 13-week sessions run from September 14 to December 7 on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Community Christian Centre in southeast Slave Lake. However, if more people sign up than there is space for, he’ll add another day. Also, he hopes to do it again starting in February.

Ideally, people will commit to at least the first three sessions, says Evison. However, people can sign up or drop by anytime within the 13 weeks.

“I won’t turn anyone away,” says Evison.

Each two-hour session includes a video with experts talking about different topics about grief and the healing process. This is followed by people in the group talking about their experience with grief.

The support group is “a way for them to come and talk,” says Evison. It helps people realize “they’re not an island by themselves. We grieve together.”

It doesn’t matter how long ago someone lost a loved one, they can attend, says the invitation. Grief has no set timeline.