Event to help those grieving during holidays
WAYNESBURG – The holidays are supposed to be a joyous time, but for some people still grieving, the festive parties, carols and gifts only serve as a cruel reminder of the loved ones who are no longer here.
For those families, a chair around the Christmas dinner table will be empty. At 7 p.m. Dec. 15, a nondenominational memorial service to help those grieving during holidays called “The Empty Chair: A Time for Remembrance” will be held in the First Church of the Nazarene, 115 Deerfield Lane, Waynesburg.
“We all tend to notice that ’empty chair’ at the table a little more visibly during this time. The service includes a candlelight portion and the reading of the names,” said Cherie Rumskey, a victim’s advocate for the Greene County district attorney’s office.
The Rev. Donald P. Wilson and John Mark Poling, minister of the host church, will lead the service, which also will feature soothing music and rituals meant to lend comfort to those who are hurting.
This is the ninth year for the program, and it is hosted by Griefshare. Sandy Seybold and Carol Furmanek, who both know the meaning of having an empty chair, are the prime organizers of the event, along with the Greene County district attorney’s office and the Victim/Witness Assistance Program.
Seybold, who is a member of the Griefshare support group, lost her son, Chad, in 2004 from injuries sustained in a vehicle crash. She said the service helps people deal with the loss of a loved one.
Furmanek, whose daughter, Rhonda, was murdered as a result of domestic violence in 1994, has been involved with the Empty Chair service since its inception.
As she has done every year of the Empty Chair, Seybold made ornaments to be distributed to all attending the event. Last year, she made beaded angels and this year she will make star-like ornaments with an attached ribbon that can easily be placed on a Christmas tree.
Seybold has created grief baskets with poetry, journals, picture frames and other soothing items, memorial DVDs and comfort blankets to give to families of murder victims. She also attends court hearings and trials to provide emotional support to the victims’ families.
Rumskey said it doesn’t matter whether someone died 25 years ago or last week. “Anyone who has lost a loved one by any means is most welcome to attend. The Empty Chair is not limiting,” she said.
She also said she is so grateful for the way the community has embraced the service. “I am looking forward to our 10th anniversary next year,” she said. “I am sure we will do something very special.”
Following the service will be a time for refreshments, during which families can share personal experiences, pictures and stories. “I think that time of fellowship is the most important part of the service,” she said.
For more information, call Rumskey at the Victim/Witness Assistance Program at 724-852-5229.