Bereavement Assistance Program
"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."The objectives of the Bereavement Assistance Program are to provide bereaved families with social, emotional, spiritual and financial support by assisting individuals / families during bereavement.
These will include:
- Booking of the crematorium
- Arranging for the hearse (and driving it, if necessary)
- Assisting with obituaries
- Making transport arrangements for condolers
- Buying of items for cremation
- Assisting in bathing the body
- Booking the Gurdwara for prayers
- Assistance in ash collection
- Providing follow up grief counseling and
- Providing assistance during the Antim Ardas (final prayers)
Losing a loved one
When a loved one passes away, we are overcomed by grief and overwhelmed by what is to be done thereafter.
Over the years, SIWEC has put together some important aspects to guiide the family and ease the bereaved during this trying time.
The initial period after losing a family member or a dear friend is a painful one for the family or an individual. SIWEC has a Hotline number where a Sikh Welfare Officer is on 24 hour call at 62999234. The officers have been extremely helpful and a great source of support for these families and individuals The Welfare Officers are there even in the middle of the night to attend to the various needs of the families and bring some comfort to them.
SIWEC provides the bereaved family with social, emotional, spiritual and financial support. During this time of bereavement, the SIWEC Council representative will assist the family with arranging the cremation of the deceased, providing guidance on the ceremonial matters and conducting the final rites for the deceased.
Grief counseling
Definition
Grief counseling refers to a specific form of therapy, or a focus in general counseling with the goal of helping the individual grieve and address personal loss in a healthy manner. Grief counseling is offered individually by Welfare Officers as well as informal support groups offered by community groups, or organizations devoted to helping individuals grieve specific losses.
Specific tasks of grief counseling include emotional expression about the loss (which can include a wide range of feelings), accepting the loss, adjusting to life after the loss, and coping with the changes within oneself and the world after the loss.
Typical feelings experienced by individuals, and addressed in grief counseling, include sadness, anxiety, anger, loneliness, guilt, relief, isolation, confusion, or numbness. Behavioral changes may also be noticed, such as being disorganized, feeling tired, having trouble concentrating, sleep problems, appetite changes, vivid dreams, or daydreaming about the deceased.
Purpose
The purpose of grief counseling is to help individuals work through the feelings, thoughts, and memories associated with the loss of a loved one. Although grieving can occur for other types of loss as well (such as loss of goals, ideals, and relationships), grief counseling is generally directed toward positive adjustment following loss after the death of a loved one.
