Broken
Wing
Outreach Program
On October 6, 2019, I lost my beloved Roger. He was my husband, best friend and biggest supporter of the ministry. Having experienced great loss even before Roger’s death, I have gained some hard-earned wisdom about grief. I feel called to share that with others who are struggling.
My inspiration comes partly from Roger. I will never forget something he said to me after returning from the funeral of a fellow physician. The pastor doing the funeral said to the people, “It’s so great that you’re all here now to support the family and the widow. But go home and mark your calendar for three or six months from now. Write down ‘Phone Dr. Greenbaum’s widow’ – because all of you will go back to your lives, but the family is left with the daily reality of missing a beloved person who is no longer there.”
And Roger did just that – reaching out to patients and families. He helped me understand how much it means to someone grieving a loss. We don’t need to “fix it” or take away the pain (we can’t!) – but small gestures help a grieving person smile and see reason for hope.
This new “Broken Wing” outreach allows you to “mark your calendar” for those who have suffered a loss – and send them a Mute Swan Grief Box filled with the items that people gave to me in the days and months after Roger’s death. They mattered to me and they helped – so I include them in the Grief Box:
a candle
a mug and a box of green tea
artistic prayer cards
a memory journal
the book “Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief”
a sympathy card
You can choose to have your name and a personal message on the card – or it can simply be from the ministry.
Many people don’t reach out to a grieving person simply because they don’t know how. Or they think they will say the wrong thing.
These grief boxes are way for you to show love and support to someone who is grieving. Please contact me via email or text and let me know who needs this kind of support. A $55 donation to the ministry will cover the cost of the items and the shipping. Checks can be made The Mute Swan Ministry (mailing address in the footer below) or donate online (click below). You can also simply make a donation to support a Grief Box for others.
I believe this new Broken Wing outreach will bring healing to my own life – while it brings healing to others. That’s the way our God works! Thank you for sharing in this beautiful ministry.
While a $55 donation will fully fund a Grief Box, if you are unable to meet this cost, a smaller donation will also suffice. We will use additional funds donated by others to cover the costs. Please do not let cost keep you from reaching out to those in need.