Support Groups

Need help coping with the stresses of life? The Calhoun Times is running this column detailing support groups in the area.

The Life Choice Hospice Bereavement Support Group will be meeting the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The support group is open to anyone in the community who would like to attend. The office and support group are located at 189 Professional Court, Suite 300, Calhoun. For Information, contact Jennifer at 706-602-9001. “Grief shared is grief diminished.” – Rabbi Earl Grollman

The Calhoun Pregnancy Center Inc., located on the corner of Peters Street and East Belmont Drive, is open every Monday, Tuesday and Friday from noon until 4 p.m. Beginning Thursday, August 13, 2015, the center will be also open each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday available by appointment only. Closed Wednesdays and Sundays. The pregnancy help center offers free pregnancy tests and Biblical lay counsel regarding abortion risks and procedures, development of the baby, adoption, sexual purity, and the risks of STDs. The center also offers practical helps for mom and baby with maternity and baby clothes, diapers and baby care products, and even some baby furniture when available. The center is pleased to announce that through its new project, “Baby Sleep Safely,” it will be offering new bassinets and cribs to loan out to parents in deepest need, returned and used again by more clients later. To visit the center, call 706-625-5768 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are always welcome during operating hours.

Narconon reminds families that abuse of addictive pharmaceutical drugs is on the rise. Learn to recognize the signs of drug abuse and get your loved ones help if they are at risk. Call Narconon for a free brochure on the signs of addiction for all types of drugs. Narconon also offers free screenings and referrals. 800431-1754 or Prescriptionabuse.org. ADDICTION COUNSELING- Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call today for free screenings or referrals. 800-431-1754

The Calhoun, Gordon County Parkinson’s Support Group will meet the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 205 E. Line St., Calhoun. This group is open to anyone living with Parkinson’s and their families. For more information, please call 706-413-3264.

Do you have a family member or friend with a mental illness, such as bipolar, depression, PTSD, or schizophrenia? If so, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers a FREE, 12-week course that is full of helpful information about mental illness. Students learn how the brain operates and the way certain medications work, the different types of treatment, mental health services, ways to communicate better, and how to take care of yourself. The Family-To Family course is termed a best practice and NAMI is happy to offer it for the first time in Dalton at Crosspointe Christian Centre, 2681 Underwood Street, on Sundays this fall. For more information and to register call NAMI Rome at 706-506-5010.

The Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is sponsoring a monthly support group for family and friends at Morning Pointe Assisted Living, 660 Jolly Road, on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. If anyone in the community would like to come, Morning Pointe will provide respite care while attending the meeting. For more information or directions, call Mary Braden 770-548-4683 or Karen Parrott 706-3465220. For more information about Alzheimer’s disease, call 800-272-3900 or 706-275-0819.

A support group for local residents with multiple sclerosis is being organized. If you have MS, are related to someone who does, or are caring for someone with MS, call Charles Smith at 706625-2752.

Special Care Plus, a free one-on-one consultation program, is offering assistance to primary caregivers of dementia patients. Each caregiver will receive basic information on the different stages of the disease; tips on caregiving techniques; nutritional information and home safety; information about programs such as Safe Return, which promotes wandering safety, and Caring Closet, which provides incontinent products for free; support group information, both local and telephone, which provide emotional and educational support; and referrals to other helping agencies and other resources which the care consultant determines necessary to meet the needs of each individual case. Any primary caregiver who is caring for a loved one with dementia and is still living at home is eligible to receive this program. The program includes three visits and a free instructional book. To learn more about this program, call Laurie Parker at 706-275-0819 or 800-272-3900.

The Georgia LongTerm Care Ombudsman Program seeks to improve the quality of life for residents of long-term care facilities. Ombudsmen investigate and work to resolve problems or complaints affecting longterm care facility residents; identify problem areas in long-term care and serve as advocates for change; provide information about long-term care and related services; promote resident, family, and community involvement in long-term care; educate the community about the needs of longterm care residents; coordinate efforts with other agencies concerned with long-term care, visit longterm care facilities routinely to talk to residents and monitor conditions; and educate facility staff about resident rights and other issues. For more information, call Linda Ann Daniel at 1-866-5658213 or 706-272-2158.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Caring Closet was created to help offset the high cost of incontinent products and give the families support they often desperately need. Once a month, family caregivers caring for their loved one with dementia still living at home visit the Closet and receive free items. If you would like to visit the nearest Closet, call the chapter office to receive a flier with locations and hours. Morning Pointe in Calhoun has a Caring Closet; call Mary Braden at 706-629-0777.

The Northwest Georgia Parkinson Disease Association, Inc. , is offering a monthly support group for persons living with Parkinson Disease, their caregivers, family and friends. The support group will meet at Gordon Hospital, Conference Room A. Refreshments will be served. There is no cost to attend the support group meeting. For any questions about the support group and future meetings, call James Trussell at 706-235-3164 or 706-346-5678.

Are you interested in losing pounds and inches? Join TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) for support and how-to information. Meetings are on Monday nights. Weighins begin at 6 p.m., and group support and information starts at 7 p.m. at the Gordon County Senior Citizens Center, 150 Cambridge Court, Calhoun. For more information, call 706-847-3306.

Community volunteers are needed at Countryside Hospice Care, where the mission is to promote comfort and dignity at the end of life. The agency covers 26 Northwest Georgia counties between three offices in LaFayette, Rome, and Newnan. If you would like to participate in this rewarding program, call 706-638-7651 or 1-800-6607381.

Have you experienced a loss of loved one. You are welcome to join a Grief Support Group. Meetings are held the fourth Tues of every month at 7 p.m. in Gordon Hospital’s Classroom A. For more information call 706-629-2895, ext. 2203.

SING (Surviving Infidelity Necessary to your Growth) has formed here. If you are experiencing difficulty in marriage and are looking for ways to survive, then you should come and be part of these meetings designed to help, encourage, and solve issues in a marriage that can lead to a promising future ahead for the entire family. For more information, call Iroka Moore at 706-6292880.

A 12-step-meeting for Overeaters Anonymous is held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 901 W. Emory St, Dalton on Thursdays at 6 p.m. Call Nan at 706-695-9008 or Stephanie at 706-847-8125 for more information.

MOPS ( Mothers of Preschoolers), invite moms with children from infancy through kindergarten to be the best mom possible. MOPS is a safe, loving environment where moms have the opportunity to make friends, share experiences and laugh together. MOPS meet the first and third Tuesday of each month during the school year from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Belmont Baptist Church, 126 West Belmont Drive Calhoun. For more details, please call 706-629-2466 or visit www.belmontbaptistchurch.org/mops.

Caring for a loved one who is suffering from latestage cancer is certainly one of life’s hardest experiences. But you do not have to go through this alone. The Harris Radiation Therapy Center at Gordon Hospital provides a place for you to meet each month with others who understand what you are going through during this difficult time. Strength for Caring, a support group for caregivers of patients with advanced stages of cancer meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 23 p.m. at the Harris Radiation Therapy Center at Gordon Hospital, 1035 Red Bud Road. For more information, please call 706-879-5853.

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult for everyone involved – the patient and their loved ones. But you are not alone. The Harris Radiation Therapy Center at Gordon Hospital, 1035 Red Bud Road, hosts a Support Group for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers on the third Wednesday of each month from noon until 1 p.m. Lunch is served. For more information and to RSVP, please call 706-879-5853. We offer a hand to hold and an ear to listen as you go through this difficult time.

The Alzheimer’s Auxiliary of North Georgia is seeking new members. Members of this auxiliary are a vital part in the work of the Alzheimer’s Association. Currently, two auxiliaries, one in North Georgia and one in Atlanta, provide support and financial assistance to people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. There are many volunteer opportunities to work with the regional offices in supporting those living with the disease, as well as caregivers. Some events auxiliary members participate in are an annual bake sale, the annual gala, Memory Walk, and health fairs. For annual membership, yearly dues of $35 per person are requested. For more information about joining the Alzheimer’s Auxiliary, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 706-275-0819.

Families Anonymous, a 12-step, self-help recovery program is for parents, relatives, and friends concerned about their loved ones current, suspected or past abuse of drugs or alcohol. Working together, members find ways of overcoming feelings of helplessness and despair. The weekly meetings are held on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at 654A Red Bud Road N.E. ( beside Calhoun Counseling Center). There is no cost for membership.

The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line 1-877-270-stop (7867) provides free counseling, support and referral services for Georgia residents 18 years of age or older who want to stop using tobacco, as well as concerned parents of adolescents using tobacco. Call today to become tobacco-free!

Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 318 N. River St. (rear of brick building next to mental health center) at 7 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

The Gordon County Domestic Violence Victim Support Group meets on Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The group is sponsored by the Gordon County Outreach Office. If you are interested in attending or would like more information about victim services in Gordon County, call 706-625-5586. All services provided by the Outreach Office are free and confidential.

Healthfield Hospice, is seeking volunteers in the Calhoun and Adairsville areas. Volunteers help provide socialization, encouragement, and emotional support through reading, listening, running errands, and helping with house and yard work. Other volunteer opportunities also exist. Interested individuals can now train to be a Healthfield Hospice volunteer from the comfort of their own homes. For more information, call Kevin Fralix at 770-951-6268.

A Grief Support Group meets each Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Northwest Georgia Hospice Office, 216 Newtown Road, Calhoun. Call 706-272-7023 for more information. The group is available without charge to anyone in the community.

Overeaters Anonymous a fellowship of men and women meets Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Belmont Baptist Church, located at 126 W. Belmont Drive, Calhoun, Building D. Everyone welcome. No dues, fees or weigh –ins. Information: 706-625-1628.

The Calhoun Unity Group of Narcotics Anonymous meets at Rocbridge Community Church on 100 Peters St. Friendship Baptist Church at 452 W. Line St. The meeting times and dates are as follows: Monday at noon at Friendship; Tuesday 7 p.m. at Rockbridge; Wednesday at 7p.m. at Friendship; Friday at 7 p.m. at Rockbridge.

Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery program, meets every Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the True North Missions Center, located in downtown Calhoun, across from the Harris Arts Center. For more information, please visit us on Facebook, celebrate recovery Calhoun. www. mytruenorth.cc or call 706676-8054.

Nurturing Parent Classes offer an opportunity for families with children ages 0 – 12 and 12 - 17 to develop skills and learn new techniques that will make family life a more rewarding experience for all. Classes begin in September, January and May. A new session will begin on May 9. Cost is $25 for the series. Dinner and child care are included. Also offered is a class for fathers. It meets on Wednesday mornings at 10 am. For more information, or to enroll call Carol at the Family Resource Center at 706625-3311 x18.

Each Tuesday at 1 p. m. at Calhoun Counseling Center ( 654 Red Bud Road, Calhoun), a substance support group will meet. For more information, contact 706-602-0339.

Wednesdays at 7 p.m., World Harvest Church has a 12-step Christian recovery ministry. This is a Christ-centered, co-ed support group that uses small group interaction, scripture and 12-step principles for those familiar with the bondage and destruction of addiction. Classes for all age groups; child care available. You can contact the church at 706-602-1919.

North Star Hospice hosts a Grief and Bereavement Support Group that is open to the community. We meet every third Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. for early birds or 6 p.m. for those who are working. The group will meet at our office which is located at 216 Newtown Road in Calhoun. Fresh coffee, snacks and companionship provided. Call 706-403-4033 for more information.

GriefShare, join this 13 week series of sessions designed for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, such as, mother, father, grandparent, child, friend. The purpose of the program is to help participants move from mourning to joy. The first meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. The meetings are an hour and a half and will be held at Mt. Pleasant UMC, 4289 Red Bud Road.

Autism Spectrum Support Group of Northwest Georgia meets the first Saturday of every month, at 1:00 p.m., at Counseling Associates of Rome Inc., 101 East Second Avenue, Rome, Georgia. Parents, caretakers, and other persons who love someone with a developmental disability are invited to attend. Cost is free. For more information, call Laura Adams, 706-232-6775, or email AutismNorthGeorgia@ yahoogroups.com

The American Liver Foundation, Georgia Chapter announces the formation of a Hepatitis C Support Group for individuals infected with liver disease and their family members in Northwest Georgia. The support group will meet on the last Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the community room in the left rear corner of the Kroger Store on Main Street and U. S. 41 in Cartersville. For more information call Dave Carlan at 770-386-1696 or via e-mail at david_c34@ yahoo.com.

The Lupus Foundation of America Inc., Georgia Chapter is sponsoring the Rome lupus support group, which will meet monthly on the second Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Redmond Regional Medical Center. Lupus patients and their families and friends are invited. For more information, call the chapter office at 770-952-3891 or 1-800-8004532 or call the support group leader, Keri Brunni, at 706295-9043.

A domestic violence support group meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. For more information, call 706-6296065.