- The backbone of the Tree House Program. This dedicated corps of
- volunteers who staff both the eight week sessions and the monthly
- drop-in-groups. They are a special group of people who come from
- many varied backgrounds and walks of life. There are fathers,
mothers,
- grandmothers, as well as professionals of all kinds. They all have
one
- thing in common - their desire to help young children, teens and
parents as
- they grieve the death of their loved one. If qualifications were to
be listed
- they would be of the more human nature: the ability to listen, good
common
- sense, the ability to be flexible and definitely a sense of humor.
The rewards
- from the experience of both the training and working at the Tree
House are
- echoed repeatedly. As one volunteer said, " I feel this experience
has
- enlightened, enriched and made me reaffirm how important children
are
- especially in the time of need. I wish I had this when my
father died. Maybe
- it would have helped me remember not only the bad times but the good
times.
- Thank you....." The seven week training program provides not
only a basis
- for learning to be a Tree House Facilitator, but also imparts
information about
- the grieving process that can be brought through life.