Our Speaker, Rick Kaplan, Talks about Jeff's Place
 
 
Guests:
  • Rick Kaplan, speaker
  • Gino Frattiloni, visiting Rotarian
  • Leigh Carpenter, prospective member
 
Announcements:
  • Repair Café: Thanks to everyone who helped make the last Repair Café such a success.
  • Wine Appreciation: The inaugural event was a good time. Five people from our club attended. The next wine fellowship dinner will be in January.
  • Purple Pinkie Day: Thanks also go to all who participated in the events at the Bolton, Lancaster, and Stow schools.
  • Foundation Forum: This will take place at the Boxborough Holiday Inn. Dr. Brian Lisse (Bridges to Malawi) will be on the panel.
  • Masquerade Ball: The date is November 7; the place is the Boxborough Holiday Inn; the theme is The Roaring 20s; the sponsors are the Littleton and Acton-
    Boxborough clubs; the proceeds go to benefit local food banks.
  • Joint meeting: On November 12, our regular evening meeting will be held with the WPI Rotaract club. Everyone is urged to attend.
  • Food Packaging: The District will send a truck to Appalachia to deliver the meals packaged at this event. The date is November 14, and the place is Solomon Pond Mall.
  • Razia’s Ray of Hope: Last night was a partial screening of a documentary (the full film has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival); Karin attended and will be available to speak about it next time.
  • Mobile Dental Clinic in the DR: The truck is outfitted and ready, and will soon begin delivering service to schools; we’re waiting for that to happen, and we’ll write the final report to RI then.
  • Veterans Day breakfast:  A sign-up sheet was passed around for volunteers. It will be held at the First Parish in Stow on November 11 from 8 – 10 am.
  • Bolton food drive: A food drive for Thanksgiving will begin soon.
  • RLI: The Rotary Leadership Institute will be held on Saturday.
  • Holiday party: Our club’s holiday party will be at Nancy’s Airfield Café; the date has yet to be determined.
  • Governor’s proclamation: Gino presented a copy of the Governor Baker’s proclamation regarding World Polio Day. Unfortunately, it made no mention of Rotary’s role.
 
Happy/sad fines:
  • Chris: put $125 into the fine basket, then $200 more. (“I’ve always wanted to do that.”) As of today, he’ll be married 50 years in another 23 years.
  • Jody: glad to be a member of Rotary.
  • Rich: happy that Purple Pinkie Day in Lancaster netted over $800.
  • Fatima: happy to be here, to live in a peaceful place, and hopeful that the many migrants around the world can find a place to call home.
  • Mary Ann: happy about Bolton’s Purple Pinkie Day results.
  • Nanci: spoke about the Healing Garden at the Littleton club; and delighted that Jacky has taken over her role in the Brewfest.
  • Carol: happy that 350,000 children are not coming down with polio.
  • Carl: happy to be back from his travels.
  • Bob: pleased with the progress of the Bolton Common project.
  • Carolyn: put a new roof on the house before it started to rain.
  • Jacky: happy for Purple Pinkie Day, and glad about the rain.
  • Jim: also glad about the rain.
 
Program:
 
Jeff’s Place facilitates healthy integration of loss for children, teens, and their families by helping them feel connected with each other and less alone in their grief journey. Jeff’s Place provides FREE support services within Metro West Boston, facilitated by licensed clinicians. Jeff’s Place also offers crisis intervention and professional educational trainings on childhood bereavement for local schools and organizations. 
 
It’s difficult for children and young people to talk about the passing of a close family member. They feel they can’t talk to parents, because they’re already burdened; nor can they talk to friends, as they may appear vulnerable or weak; and friends aren’t likely to understand anyway. At Jeff’s Place, however, everyone does “get it.” A short video about this can be viewed online at jeffsplacemetrowest.org.
 
Rick is a program facilitator. The program meets every other week throughout the school year.  Rick’s involvement began in 1983, when, as a teenager, he lost his brother. There were no therapeutic facilities available then.  His parents brought him to a psychiatrist, but Rick didn’t want to hear what he presumed the psychiatrist would say. At Jeff’s Place, however, no one is required to say anything. It’s peer-based facilitation, under the guidance of a professional. Each program (there are three currently) begins with a pizza dinner around a table, then a candlelight ceremony, when anyone can, if they want to speak briefly, then they break into groups, each with a facilitator. Group members are from 3 to 19 years old.
 
The organization grew out of a grief counseling service in financial trouble. They offered Rick’s sister, Jenny, funding for one year, to be named Jeff’s Place in memory of her brother. Volunteer facilitators are always welcome. And if you know a family that can use this FREE service, keep Jeff’s Place in mind. Meetings are in Framingham and Wayland. Participants come from 20 towns. Their budget is $300,000