As a mutual assistance, self-help organization offering friendship, understanding and hope to bereaved families, the Billings Chapter of The Compassionate Friends provides a variety of activities and information resources.  The objective is to help those in our community, including family, friends, employers, and co-workers to be supportive.  The [Photo Album]text in the activity descriptions are links to pictures from those activities.  Check the Calendar page for actual dates, times and locations.

Monthly Meetings (shown on the Calendar page) are held on the second Monday of each month with the exception of December.  Location:  The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1108 24th St W.  As many chapters do, we have a Birthday & Anniversary Table at our monthly meetings.  The month of your child's birthday or anniversary of their death, we invite you to bring a photo or any memento of your child that you would like to display.  This is a wonderful way to celebrate the memory of your child with everyone.

Steering Committe Meetings (shown on the Calendar page) are held quarterly.  If you have suggestions or other information that you would like the committee members to address, you can send them E-Mail via the Contact Us page. You are also invited to send any suggestions or corrections for anything on our web site directly to the Webmaster from that same Contact Us page.

Planting of the Floral Garden in Rose Park  [Photo Album]   This really marks the beginning of spring!  Everyone is welcome to help us plant the garden with flowers surrounding the Angel Statue.  It can be a wonderful "dirt therapy" session with friends who understand your frustrations or your celebrations as our beautiful butterfly takes shape.  Please bring your own gloves, gardening tools, and knee pads.  The more volunteers—the less time it takes to plant.  Volunteers for the "Weeders" club will also be needed throughout the Summer.  We have a schedule to make it easier. Please contact a Steering Committee member if you can help.  A weekly weeding schedule will be printed each month in the newsletter to remind everyone when it's their turn.  We're very proud of our floral garden & so very grateful for everyone's participation.  

Picnic and Balloon Launch:   [Photo Album]  Every year in July, we have a potluck picnic in Rose Park at the shelter nearest the sculpture garden--adjacent to our Gift of Life Brick Walkway.  Please bring a salad or dessert to share.  Chicken, eating utensils, drinks & balloons provided by our TCF chapter.  You may also want to bring lawn chairs or blankets as seating is sometimes limited. Following the picnic we will have a short memorial service followed by a beautiful balloon launch.  Location: Rose Park is at 21st Street West and Avenue D, Billings, Montana.  Turn north from Grand Avenue at 21st Street West.

Gift of Life Brick Walkway Dedication:   [Photo Album]  Every year at 1:00 PM on a Saturday in August, we dedicate the new memorial bricks at our Floral Garden and Brick Walkway in the Sculpture Garden at Rose Park, 21st Street West and Avenue D, Billings, MT.  The Calendar page will have the specifics in case there is a change due to weather, etc.  You may bring lawn chairs if you wish.  If you would like to purchase a memorial brick for your loved one, you can get an order form from either the Brick Walkway or Catalog page.  The cut off date for accepting brick orders is July 1st of each year so that we have time to have our loved ones' names cast into the bricks for the August dedication.

Our Annual Mother's Luncheon is held in May.  The actual location varies, so you can check the Calendar page for specifics. We hope you'll join us and treat yourself to time with TCF friends and celebrate being your child's very special mom.

Angel Statue   [Photo Album]   The dedication was held June 29, 2013.  We are so very grateful to each and every one of you who have so generously given memorials in loving memory of your child, grandchild, or sibling to our Angel Fund.  And thanks, too, to all of the organizations who have compassionately given funds to assist us financially for this special project!  We are thrilled to announce that we have reached our goal!  Our angel is now in place at Rose Park.  A most special thank you to our very talented Sculptor, Drew Brown, who gave so much of his time, so willing to listen to each of our wishes, and for his thoughtfulness in the design of our Angel!  The sanctuary in Rose Park has become such a meaningful and special place to our members that we want to insure that it is well maintained for years to come.  In an effort to preserve and financially support any future additions to our beloved sanctuary we will now designate these donations to the Rose Park Sanctuary Fund.

Our Holiday Luncheon is held on the second Saturday in December.  The location varies, so please check the Calendar page for specifics.  Please join us for lunch & fellowship as we begin a weekend long tribute to our children, grandchildren and siblings. Lunch usually costs between $6 & $12 per person.  We ask that each person attending bring a small ($5 value) exchange gift. There will be a door prize.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting® Ceremony is always held on the second Sunday in December at 7:00 PM.  Candles will be lit all around the world in memory of our children, grandchildren & siblings.  Please join us in lighting a candle either from home, or you are welcome to join us at the shelter in Rose Park (Weather Permitting) at 6:45 PM next to our memorial garden where we will light candles promptly at 7:00 PM and have a short service in memory of our loved ones. Please bring your own candle.  Our tree in the park will be decorated & you may bring an ornament to place on the tree if you wish.  Please know that TCF will not be responsible for returning these ornaments. ☼

Our Annual Holiday Memorial Service:  [Photo Album]  This service is held the evening of the second Monday in December at the American Lutheran Church, 5 Lewis Avenue.  This is in place of our regular monthly meeting.  All family & friends are invited to join us for a special evening that includes a holiday service & candle lighting ceremony starting at 7:00 p.m. sharp. (Due to fire codes, only one candle per family for each child who has died will be allowed, and must be held by an adult.  Candles are provided by TCF.)  Please come early and be thinking of a special message to write to your child, grandchild or sibling.  The message will be read aloud during the candle lighting service.  A potluck fellowship will follow--please bring a food item to share. We also ask that each family bring an unwrapped gift to be donated to Family Services in memory of your loved one.  We hope you will join us.