About Us
The Compassionate Friends
Our Chapter is part of the larger National Organization. The Compassionate Friends was founded 50 years ago when a chaplain at the Warwickshire Hospital in England brought together two sets of grieving parents and realized that the support they gave each other was better than anything he, as a chaplain, could ever say or provide. Meeting around a kitchen table, the Lawleys and the Hendersons were joined by a bereaved mother and the chaplain, Simon Stephens, and The Society of the Compassionate Friends was born. The Compassionate Friends jumped across the ocean and was established in the United States and incorporated in 1978 in Illinois.
Today TCF has over 600 chapters serving all 50 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, that offer friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members during the natural grieving process after a child has died. Around the world more than 30 countries have a Compassionate Friends presence, encircling the globe with support so desperately needed when the worst has happened.
Our Mission
The mission of The Compassionate Friends: When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.
Our Chapter
Our North Port Florida Chapter offers support to families in North Port, Punta Gorda, Venice, and Port Charlotte Florida. There are no fees or costs to the families. We provide peer to peer support in a safe place for families who have experienced the death of a child, sibling or grandchild. We are funded by our generous donors and through special events. Each month our committed volunteers who also have experienced loss facilitate our meetings and are there via phone or online to help every bereaved parent, sibling, or grandparent who attend our meetings or contact us.
Chapter Leadership
- Chapter Leader – Beth Wooten
- Treasurer – Valerie LaBoy
- Newsletter Editor – Dawn Stephens
"WE NEED NOT WALK ALONE"
We are here to offer you hope that things do get better