Bellis

Bellis is closed today, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will not have our regular scheduled drop-in group today at noon. We will be back to our regular schedule next week. From the team at Bellis, we wish you all a fun and safe holiday weekend. 💛

Remember, you can reach the support of Bellis via call or text to the Stronger Together Support Line at 833-423-5547.

We often hear "Give yourself some grace", but what does that even mean? It means to treat yourself with kindness and understanding, and to forgive yourself for making mistakes. It can also mean to give yourself permission to pause, slow down, and appreciate where you are. Bellis knows that giving yourself (and others) grace can help you grow, change, and flourish. 🌻

Can you believe it's July already?! This week at Bellis, we will have all our regularly scheduled programming except for Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day.

YOU'RE INVITED to 💛 Tuesday Together 💛 at Bellis!

Join us for conversation, coffee, and donuts. 😀☕🍩 RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/mybellis/RSVPTuesdayTogether

Tuesday Together on July 23rd is the first ever of a series of quarterly events, providing an opportunity for members of the greater Bellis community to meet and get to know each other.

Donors, facilitators, volunteers, participants, and caring community members are all welcome and encouraged to attend. You are welcome to bring a guest or two; the more people who know about Bellis, the better! Our usual Tuesday in-person Stronger Together group participants will be in attendance, and they are so excited to meet others who are involved with Bellis. 🌼

The Bellis Stronger Together Support Line is open all week and weekend long. If need a listening ear, we are here for you. Call or text 833-423-5547

If you are a mother whose children are parented by others - no matter how that came to be - join us online today at 12:00 PM noon central time for a drop-in Stronger Together grief support group. Message us for details.

A hand-picked bouquet of wildflowers is the kind of gesture we wish we could hand-deliver to each and every one of our supporters today. Bellis could not do what we do without you! 🌼Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What's happening at Bellis this week?

What can Bellis give to mothers whose children are parented by others?

Hope.

Hear it from Jessica, a Bellis Stronger Together participant: https://vimeo.com/886637631

You can reach the support of Bellis via call or text to the Stronger Together Support Line at 833-423-5547.

We are here for you if you need a listening ear, a word of encouragement, space to vent frustrations, a bit of perspective, or even just to check-in or say hello, and any other kind of support you can imagine! 💛

What does Bellis do these days? Do I fit in here?

The short answer is YES. If you feel seen, heard, and understood here, Bellis is for you.

The longer answer is that our programs offer grief support and connection for mothers whose children are parented by others – due to adoption, foster care, termination of parental rights, transfer of custody, parental alienation, custody disputes, an open child protection case, or any other circumstance. No one will be turned away from Bellis due to the circumstances surrounding their parenting status.

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If you're navigating the complex emotions of ambiguous loss and grief as a mother whose children are parented by others, you are not alone, and you are in the right place at Bellis.

Remember to join us tonight at 6:30 PM central time for an Evening of Connection! We look forward to seeing you. https://tinyurl.com/BellisEOC

The Bellis Stronger Together Support Line is open all week and weekend long! If need a listening ear, we are here for you. Call or text 833-423-5547

Beginning July 1, 2024, adopted people born in Minnesota who are 18 or older will be able to request their original birth records. Birth parents named on an original birth record may submit a contact preference form to indicate their preference for contact by the adopted person. https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/adoption.html

What do you think about the law change? Should we talk about it at the Evening of Connection this Sunday?

Evening of Connection will be online this Sunday, June 16th at 6:30-7:30 PM central time. We hope you will join us for an hour of community & conversation! https://tinyurl.com/BellisEOC

Read our latest blog: Join Us on Our Journey at Bellis - creating a space for all stories, creating a space for growth and healing.
https://www.mybellis.org/blog/join-us-on-our-journey-at-bellis

How are you feeling today? If you are a mother whose children are parented by others, please know that the listening ears of Bellis are here for you. NOTE the Monday Indigenous mothers group has been paused for the next 6 weeks while we offer the Wednesday cohort for Indigenous mothers. Message us for details 🌼

"I wish I knew about Bellis sooner."

We heard this phrase muttered through tears today from a woman whose child is being parented by someone else. This grief is real, and much more prevalent in our communities than any of us could imagine.

Please share our page with your Facebook friends list to help us continue reaching women who are experiencing ambiguous loss and grief due to having children who are parented by others.

When is the next Evening of Connection?! The next one is Sunday, June 16th, and all summer long we will hold it online, on the 3rd Sunday of each month, always from 6:30 - 7:30 PM Central Time. See our calendar for details, and we hope to see you there! https://www.mybellis.org/calendar

If you're navigating the complex emotions of ambiguous loss and grief as a mother whose children are parented by others, you are not alone, and you are in the right place at Bellis.

Whether your experiences as a mother whose children are parented by others is via adoption, foster care, termination of parental rights, transfer of custody, an open child protection case, parental alienation, or any other circumstance, we are here for you.

Happy June! We are officially in the sweet spot of the summer. Although the sun may be shining and the flowers are in bloom, we know that grief doesn't take a vacation. Please join us at a group this week for open discussions that promote community and healing for mothers whose children are parented by others.

Bellis understands that the weekend can be a tough time as a mother whose children are parented by others. If you need a listening ear before our meetings next week, the Stronger Together Support Line is available for you. Call or text anytime at 833-4BELLIS (833-423-5547) - a trained team member will be ready to pick up your call or respond promptly. 💛

We are so excited to present at this incredible conference and share our knowledge of Ambiguous Grief and Loss and how it impacts mothers whose children are parented by others. Thank you for the opportunity Brighter Days Family Grief Center!

Registration is open for All Things Grief! ♥️ Join us for a powerful day of grief education and enjoy the incredible opportunity to hear Megan Devine, Refuge In Grief, as our keynote speaker. We have amazing breakout sessions lined up including speakers representing NAMI Minnesota, Alzheimer's Association, CARE Counseling, Eluna, Final Exit Network, The Confident Grief Coach, Bellis, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Canvas Health, Aqui Para Ti, Muse Health, Conversations with Kelly, MN Firefighter Initiative, Children's Grief Awareness Day, Recovering u, Washburn Center for Children, Bryan Piatt, FamilyWise Services, Highmark Caring Place, Michele DeVille - Dare to Grieve, Sewa - Asian Indian Family Wellness, Alzheimer's Association Minnesota-North Dakota, and many more! CEUs awarded by MN Board of Social Work and MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. Register here: https://form.jotform.com/241144342275046

INTRODUCING a new online cohort specifically for Indigenous mothers who are no longer parenting their children - due to termination of parental rights, transfer of custody, an open child protection case, or other involuntary reasons. This group is perfect for someone who is interested in participating but is nervous about attending her very first session. 💛 please visit https://www.mybellis.org/blog/new-grief-support-group-for-indigenous-mothers-online-cohort for more information 🌼

The weekly support groups offered by Bellis help women manage their ambiguous grief and loss - that for which there is no ritual or communal support. Loss of parental rights, transfer of custody, and parental alienation are not widely acknowledged in society, but the trauma from it is deep and, if gone unmanaged, can quickly spiral into worse circumstances. Bellis supports women in realizing their humanity and dignity, allowing them to continue to move forward. There's a place for you at Bellis. You are worth hearing. You are worth healing.

As May draws to a close, we are feeling grateful for all of the women who make Bellis what it is - a safe space for open discussions that bring healing for mothers whose children are parented by others. We are all Stronger Together.

Bellis understands that the weekend can be a tough time as a mother whose children are parented by others. If you need a listening ear before our meetings next week, the Stronger Together Support Line is available for you. Call or text anytime at 833-4BELLIS (833-423-5547) - a trained team member will be ready to pick up the call or respond promptly. 💛

🌟 Celebrating the Start of a Special Cohort 🌟

Bellis is proud to announce the launch of the new online cohort, providing peer-based grief support for women whose children are parented by others. This initiative is the first of its kind, and we're honored to embark on this journey with such an incredible community.

This cohort is truly special because hundreds of women have courageously come to Bellis and taken a step that can be incredibly difficult: asking for help.

Together over the 6-week cohort, we will unpack ambiguous loss, navigate grief, and create community that can help ease the journey forward.