WA Chapter
from Kara Jones

Wanted to let you know the latest information about support thru WA MISS. Our monthly West Seattle meetings at Delridge Library are on hold for now. Those meetings may start up again in 2005, and we will let you know when things are rescheduled. In the meantime, here's our scheduled NCMD event info and updates on all the on-going outreach contacts. Please note that some of our outreach contacts are available to meet one on one as needed during this monthly-meeting-hiatus, so just ask, okay? And outreach contacts are always available via email and phone. Here's the update info:

Cafe Luna, Vashon Island, Sunday, December 12th, 2004, 6 to 7pm National Children's Memorial Day - FREE event. Stories, music, and candlelighting for support and inspiration... Bereaved parents of any gender, race, religion -- ALL -- are welcome. Feel free to bring momentos, photos, memory albums or other touchstones that you might like to display on our "remembrance" table. We'll have some basics available like water, kleenex, and memorial candles available for free. The Cafe will be open for purchases of tea, coffee, or other edibles. This event will host music, a storyteller, a henna artist offering free memorial designs, facilitated computer internet searches for seeking online resources, and an art table in the first half hour or so of the event. The second half hour will be the candlelighting ceremony. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to be in touch with us! kara@missfoundation.org

On-going Outreach in WA State
Vashon Island peer-to-peer support is offered throughout the month. Please call Kara for information 206-251-6706 (cell) or email Kara at kara@missfoundation.org with your query.

West Seattle peer-to-peer support offered throughout the month. Please contact Krista at krista@missfoundation.org for support and outreach information.

Eastern WA peer-to-peer outreach is offered throughout the month. Sarah can give you information about local contacts and outreach materials if you email her with your query at sarah@missfoundation.org.

Southern WA Please email kara@missfoundation.org if you are outside the Seattle area of WA and looking for support. We do have outreach & local support information for the Southern WA area.

Idaho Chapter
from Nancy Grayson

Hi! We are creating a widowed with kids at home resource list to be placed at funeral homes for the widowed parent. Here in Idaho, MISS places Project Linus blankets & teddy bears for a child's funeral service and to kids that has had a sibling or parent die.  This week we have placed 12 blankets in the Boise area for these heartbreaking situations. 12 blankets: 12 kids and families hurting to the core. You can help with sending us links to WEB sites for national & local groups that help support these families: widow parent resources and grieving children support. Know of a support group, book, service group that can help ? - send on the info! Thank you, Nancy more about Project Linus at www.projectlinus.org to the Idaho link.
Nancy and Peter Grayson - Joel's Mom & Dad
MISS Foundation Idaho programs:
Mothers and Dads in Sympathy & Support
Children of HOPE, KISS kids, Grief Happens for teens
missfoundationidaho@msn.com 208.861.2407
www.missfoundation.org

National Office in Arizona

1.  The MISSing Angels newsletter is now available online:
http://www.missfoundation.org/newsletter/index.html

2. Welcome new volunteers and board members:
http://www.missfoundation.org/bios/index.html

3.  The MISS Foundation's 2005 Passages Conference Registration is now available:  http://www.missfoundation.org/conference/MISS2005_reg.pdf

4.  You can donate to the MISS Foundation here:
http://www.missfoundation.org/About_MISS/donate.html
More than $.93 of every $1.00 goes directly to our Family Outreach Programs and Services.  Memorial cards are sent and donations are also acknowledged in the newsletter.

5.  Learn about GBS testing and other high risk factors on the Baby's Breath site:
http://www.missfoundation.org/babysbreath/index.html

6.  A safe place for bereaved fathers only- meet Gregg Carder, father of Alesia Dawn. His precious daughter died suddenly in her sleep at age 14 and he has helped many many other fathers through the MISS Foundation:
http://www.missfoundation.org/family/dads/index.html

7.  Stillbirth takes the lives of more children than all infant death causes combined! In an effort to learn more about childbirth and stillbirth, the MISS Foundation's research, the MOMS Study, is in need of many more women who have experienced stillbirth and live birth to respond to the research.  Please recruit family, friends, and neighbors to this site:
http://www.momstudy.com .

     The MISS Foundation's committee, MISS Task Force, Mission for Infant Survival and Stillbirth, charged with education, reduction, and reform, has nominated Mary Geitz as its director. Ms Geitz has seven years of experience in working with families experiencing stillbirth and has committed to a broad range of parental bereavement services for all child death.  Her main objectives for the program include:     a) Supporting the MOMS Study and future research related to stillbirth and perinatal mortality.     b) Educating women and professionals on risk reduction factors.     c) Advocacy and reform in public health at the states and federal level, including increased funding for research and bereavement services. To contact Ms Geitz about the Mission for Infant Survival and Stillbirth Task Force, please contact mary@missfoundation.org or call 630.546.9543.