KENNEDY AUSTIN FOUNDATION Presents

---

 Legacy: Before you Go

Not knowing when we will breathe our last breath on Earth, how can we prepare ourselves and families for the inevitable? A life well lived can leave a legacy of joy if all is prepared in advance. Learn about end of life preparations, plans, memorials, finances, paperwork and digital identities. 

 Grief & Loss Support*

When death touches a family, it can be hard to process the emotions that we feel. Sometimes we are so frozen in our grief we struggle to move forward and live.This class will examine the stages of grief and provide strategies for dealing with them and moving beyond to face the next stage gracefully.

 Creating SPACE*

(For youth 12-21)

Young people are resilient, but they often go through traumas that adults don’t know about - bullying, loneliness, family disruptions, addictions, cutting, and abuse. Creating SPACE is a safe restorative group to share our difficulties, our hopes and dreams, and learn how to overcome setbacks in a healthy way.

Everyone has a story within, why not learn how to put your story in book form? Coordinated by published author, Ethel Gardner, learn the ins and outs of writing and publishing. Finish the class with something worth publishing.  

 Anger is often the underlying root of many mental health issues and the cause of ruptured relationships. This class will explore why we are angry, how to diffuse that anger and how to respond in caring and respectful ways instead.  

 Our youth and other volunteers will fill and decorate special baskets of hope to be given to families who experience the sudden loss of their child. This is an “on call as needed” group.   

 Learn to be a good steward of money that you earn or are responsible for. Check writing, bill paying, opening accounts, credit, investing, insurance and more will be discussed. 

Have you been in a terrifying accident? Had your house ransacked? Been bullied and harassed online or in-person? Been beaten or raped? Held-up and robbed? The shock and fear that you feel is normal, very similar to PTSD, and a support group can help you feel protected and heard.

Learn to quiet the voices in your mind and find a peaceful center. Techniques of mindfulness, meditation, prayer and affirmations will be practiced in this group to bring our anxieties and fears in check to live in an intentional mindful manner.

A mental health crisis can happen at any time to anyone, be prepared to respond appropriately. Learn the different ways our minds can go into crisis mode, and what to say and do in those moments.

While growing up and within adult relationships, sometimes things go terribly wrong and hurt us deeply in our soul. This class helps us bring out those wrongs done to us and provides writing prompts to encourage us to move beyond the hurts.

Ladies, if you have completed any of our Intervention groups, we invite you, when ready, to join us in transforming lives through empowerment and positivity. Investigate your ideas of a successful life and map out the steps to achieve it.

Get ready for your first or next job in this class that teaches work ethics, resume preparation, job interview skills, job search, negotiation and effective networking.

Can’t sleep at night? Is your mind filled with fearful thoughts of the future? Are you too anxious to get out of the house sometimes, let alone the bed? This class will provide practical tools to calm the anxiety and worries as we seek peace together.

(Art, music, dance, poetry)

Creative expression is especially healing and releasing for those dealing with traumas or just with life. Some sessions are guided and others are free expression. Everyone will have an opportunity to share their favorite masterpieces.

Although the “Big One” or the “Zombie Apocalypse” may never happen, if it will ease your worries, take this class on how best to prepare for and to survive a disaster.  

Within our technology saturated and fast-paced society, depending on parenting the way it has always been done is doomed to fail. Learn new and empowering ways to raise your children to be safe, loving and respectful.

Studies show that families that either pray or play together are the happiest and healthiest families. Combining both multiplies the joy and understanding within families. We will share Bible stories, and pray in an open manner but no particular faith system is prerequisite. And, playing is for everyone! 

Love as a feeling is a flimsy and unstable base upon which to build a marriage. Understanding that marriage is based on actions and decisions worked out together will help you build a steady base for your home. Learn communication and negotiation skills that will make a solid difference in your togetherness.

Marriages begin to fall apart when each person doesn’t feel heard or understood or validated.  Learn powerful communication strategies that will strengthen, not tear apart, your relationship. We encourage attendance as a couple, but understand that sometimes only one person sees or feels the problems. Solo attendance is allowed with permission.

Co-dependency is an emotional and behavioral condition affecting one’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. Also known as “relationship addiction,” people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive. This group will help you disengage, set boundaries and establish a safe self.

Many who have been helped through our services want to “give back” by volunteering and we encourage it as therapy in action. Put your skills to work in hospitality, administration, cleaning, intake, purchasing, copying, calling and more. There is a place for you!