Our members’ testimonials:
New Beginnings saved my life. Literally. I came into my first meeting 4 1/2 years ago, and had no idea what to expect. I was at tge end of my rope at that time, I had been hit with so many losses at once that i just didn’t feel like living anymore. I felt I was at rock bottom, and had no hope to be able get myself off the ground. Slowly, after coming week after week after week, I started to form these bonds with those at the group, because they understood where I was coming from, and what I was feeling. They let me cry, scream, yell – and they got it. Finally someone “got it”! These bonds I formed are still a part of my life today, and in fact, the group has become my family, my tribe. Which is the last thing I expected, but the best thing that could have happened. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Try one meeting. I guarantee you’ll be shocked and amazed by the feelings you feel from meeting people that “get it”.
~Anonymous Member
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Why New Beginnings means so much to me.
I attended my first meeting several years ago, when a relationship ended because my boyfriend’s legal issues in Massachusetts forced him to move back to California!
A friend who belonged to NB asked me to attend with her since a year had passed and I felt no better!
I found solace and support and some new, dear friends and have continued because of ongoing losses and family issues, plus a feeling of helping others and giving back!
Susan, New Beginnings Member
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My husband, David, died four and a half years ago.
When you lose your spouse to death, you lose everything.
You are devastated by grief. You are terribly lonely. You can’t concentrate. You have twice the work to do to maintain your life and half of the people that used to do that work. You don’t care whether you live or die.
Most people you meet are sympathetic but expect you to recover within a few months. Some people are afraid that your loss is contagious – that they will lose THEIR spouse, maybe even to you.
Your social life falls apart. Everywhere you look there are couples, and you are alone. Your couple friends, after the obligatory dinner out after the funeral, fall away and then you are even more alone.
New Beginnings is the antidote. Here you find other people who truly KNOW what you are going through because they are in the same boat.
They KNOW that grief for your spouse lasts forever. They KNOW that it takes baby steps to recover from your loss. They LISTEN while you talk about your grief.
They give you permission to laugh again and help you find ways to laugh. They give you tips on how to accomplish tasks you’ve never done before.
They help you build your new life and they become your friends. New Beginnings becomes the base for your new social life.
I’m very grateful for the gift of a place where I am welcome and accepted every Thursday night.
When you lose your spouse to death, you lose everything.
You are devastated by grief. You are terribly lonely. You can’t concentrate. You have twice the work to do to maintain your life and half of the people that used to do that work. You don’t care whether you live or die.
Most people you meet are sympathetic but expect you to recover within a few months. Some people are afraid that your loss is contagious – that they will lose THEIR spouse, maybe even to you.
Your social life falls apart. Everywhere you look there are couples, and you are alone. Your couple friends, after the obligatory dinner out after the funeral, fall away and then you are even more alone.
New Beginnings is the antidote. Here you find other people who truly KNOW what you are going through because they are in the same boat.
They KNOW that grief for your spouse lasts forever. They KNOW that it takes baby steps to recover from your loss. They LISTEN while you talk about your grief.
They give you permission to laugh again and help you find ways to laugh. They give you tips on how to accomplish tasks you’ve never done before.
They help you build your new life and they become your friends. New Beginnings becomes the base for your new social life.
I’m very grateful for the gift of a place where I am welcome and accepted every Thursday night.
Roberta, New Beginnings Member
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When my now ex-wife left me, I was left with no family in the area, feeling like a failure, lonely, heart-broken and depressed. The loss was too much to handle by myself even with regular therapy.
New Beginnings not only provided me with an outlet to share and talk about my grief and loss but also gave me a family away from home on whom I could always rely.
When I first came to New Beginnings, never had I thought that I would make relationships for life but here I am a year later still attending the group, because no matter what you are going through, New Beginnings will always have a place for you.
Just know, the night is darkest just before the dawn.
New Beginnings not only provided me with an outlet to share and talk about my grief and loss but also gave me a family away from home on whom I could always rely.
When I first came to New Beginnings, never had I thought that I would make relationships for life but here I am a year later still attending the group, because no matter what you are going through, New Beginnings will always have a place for you.
Just know, the night is darkest just before the dawn.
~Anonymous Member
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I came to New Beginnings a year ago this week after losing my mother in April of 2022.
I never thought, in a million years, that I would be in a grief group but I can honestly say it was the best decision I ever took to join New Beginnings.
My very first meeting I sat in my car for a while wondering if I really wanted to go in to the church building. But ultimately, I took that first step. Everyone was very welcoming and I received my first “Roberta” hug. I have never looked back since that first night. It is a wonderful non-judgmental room filled with very different people at all levels of grief, different losses, and varied ages from 20’s to mid-80’s. Jodi, the leader of the group is very insightful in how she knows about each individual’s trigger points, vulnerabilities and does not push anyone to share more than they wish to. Many of the members have stated over the past year how they feel that this is the only place that they can really open up and express how they truly feel about their individual loss. Because, let’s be honest, after a period of time when you have suffered a great loss, in general our friends, relatives, and colleagues don’t really ask any more and feel uncomfortable around us when we confess that we are not okay.
There is none of that uncomfortable feeling at New Beginnings. Everyone is allowed to fully feel and express their grief in a safe zone where we all share and support each other. Yes there is crying but we also laugh and have very insightful discussions.
I would not miss a Thursday night – it’s always on my calendar and I am committed at this point
to give back to the group for all I have received from them.
I never thought, in a million years, that I would be in a grief group but I can honestly say it was the best decision I ever took to join New Beginnings.
My very first meeting I sat in my car for a while wondering if I really wanted to go in to the church building. But ultimately, I took that first step. Everyone was very welcoming and I received my first “Roberta” hug. I have never looked back since that first night. It is a wonderful non-judgmental room filled with very different people at all levels of grief, different losses, and varied ages from 20’s to mid-80’s. Jodi, the leader of the group is very insightful in how she knows about each individual’s trigger points, vulnerabilities and does not push anyone to share more than they wish to. Many of the members have stated over the past year how they feel that this is the only place that they can really open up and express how they truly feel about their individual loss. Because, let’s be honest, after a period of time when you have suffered a great loss, in general our friends, relatives, and colleagues don’t really ask any more and feel uncomfortable around us when we confess that we are not okay.
There is none of that uncomfortable feeling at New Beginnings. Everyone is allowed to fully feel and express their grief in a safe zone where we all share and support each other. Yes there is crying but we also laugh and have very insightful discussions.
I would not miss a Thursday night – it’s always on my calendar and I am committed at this point
to give back to the group for all I have received from them.
David B. Johnson