Supportive Blog

Current NSAMF activities include growing existing Campus Chapters, marketing to new campuses, developing partnerships with national advocacy organizations and potential funding sources, hosting the annual National Conference on College Student Grief in August 2012, creating an Alumni Network, and leading National College Student Grief Awareness week in April 2012.

Future activities include hiring additional staff to lead chapter development, expanding campus grief workshops for students and faculty members, developing innovative methods to utilize social media and technology to connect and support grieving college students, and disbursing student tuition scholarships and research grants to evaluate program effectiveness.

Hello from Danville Kentucky! My name is Patrick Cho and I am a junior at Centre College. I returned to school this year after taking a leave of absence from college to help care for my mother, who had ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). The period of her illness was the worst of my life. I felt lonely, isolated—I did not know anyone else my own age who could understand what I was going through. Establishing Students of AMF at Centre has been an amazing opportunity to reach out to other college students who have experienced a similar loss. The response, both from students and faculty, has been amazing.

Earlier this year we were approved as an official organization at Centre. As a new organization, our biggest goal was to boost awareness of our new chapter of Students of AMF at Centre. I met with the dean of students and various faculty to make connections with professors so they could refer students to Students of AMF; an email was eventually sent out to all faculty and staff at Centre. We placed informational cards in every student mailbox, and were featured in an interview in the school newspaper. I also met with all the RAs on campus, explaining the goals of AMF and distributing flyers that were put up in every dorm around campus. RA’s have a very personal connection with the residents on their hall, and they have been so helpful in getting the word out among students.

The response has been fantastic. A group of core officers formed quickly, and together organized our first service activity as a chapter this October. We helped distribute candy at a college-sponsored trick or treat for the local community, and our booth was a great success!

As a chapter leader, the most rewarding aspect of AMF has been the support group. Centre is a small school, and most people know, or at least recognize, everyone else. Yet death is never discussed. It’s astonishing to see how many people attend support group meetings that I had no idea has experienced a loss. One of the most valuable aspects of Students of AMF has been the ability to connect people who share this common bond and support one another. The more we grow, the more apparent it is just how important Students of AMF is on campus.

Our chapter advisor, Director of Campus Counseling Kathy Miles, has been a wonderful resource, and I am so grateful to the other students who have helped make Students of Amf at Centre such a success—Jen Abraham, Louesa Akin, and Lan Nugyen. I look forward to the coming year and to building students of AMF at Centre!

AMF needs to raise $25,000 to grow our support of grieving college students across the United States. To do this, we have created the AMF $10 Challenge to ask all of the AMF friends and family to help raise $25,000 by Thanksgiving.  If everyone gives  $10 then we can reach our goal!  Will you join us in accepting this challenge?  Click the DONATE button below and share this opportunity with others.  If you prefer to send a check or make a credit card gift over the phone we can certainly accommodate.  We look forward to sharing our success in the December newsletter.

Donate online:

Support AMF – a little goes a long way in supporting college students!

National Students of AMF is pleased to welcome to the AMF family our new Executive Director, Melanie Ferlito. Melanie comes to us with over 15 years of non-profit experience working for Special Olympics International based in Washington, DC from her office here in Raleigh, NC. Her strong background in program management, fundraising, volunteer management and event planning & implementation will be a huge compliment to the strategic goals of AMF. Throughout the search process, the Search Committee members were guided by the organization’s growth-filled strategic plan and several testimonials from student members, including Tiffany’s (UPenn Law, 2010) saying that “Every school should have an AMF chapter and every student should know about it.”

According to co-Founder, David Fajgenbaum (pictured at left with Board member, Ken Martin, and Melanie), “We had some awesome candidates, but with the need for this organization to expand further nationwide and Melanie’s experience with such growth, she was the clear choice for this position. I’m really excited about her passion for this cause, interest in preserving the past, and desire to influence our future.”

Melanie is enthusiastic to join the AMF family and has lofty goals to kick start her role with the organization: expansive/strategic growth of AMF chapters across the US and increasing our funding base to ensure our organization realize financial longevity.

Melanie is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She and her husband Eric have 3 children, Connor and Lauren (age 8 ) and Olivia (age 6), which they have raised in Raleigh, NC. Please feel free to stop by the AMF office or send Melanie an email to welcome her. Her email address is Melanie@studentsofamf.org and the AMF office number is 919-803-6728.

We are so excited to announce that AMF has been selected as a finalist for the Pepsi Refresh Project in the month of August and a $25,000 grant! Now that we are finalists, the winner is 100% determined by votes during the month of August! So, to help us to continue to connect and empower college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one to support one another, WE NEED YOUR VOTES! This grant will go toward developing new chapters on 17 college campuses, helping to provide a voice for grieving students and connecting them with friends who “get it” on their campuses. You can vote one time EVERY DAY online and through your cell phone (so 2 per day)! Please mark it in your calendar for every single day of the month of August to vote.

To vote, you can go to:

– http://www.refresheverything.com/collegestudentgrief or http://pep.si/oTEFzQ
– Text the code “107913″ to the following telephone number “73774″

You will be prompted to log-in through your own facebook account or to create a Pepsi log-in. Both are very quick and easy.

POWER VOTES
Also, if you buy a specially marker 2-liter or 20 oz. pepsi bottle or 12- or 24-pack carton, you can enter a code from the bottle top or box at www.refresheverything.com to find out how many additional votes your vote will count for for that day. Ex: each bottle or box will have a code worth 5, 10, 15, 25, 50 or 100 votes, so when you vote that day that many votes will go to AMF!

SPREAD THE WORD
Please forward this information on to all of the friends in your address book, put this information in your status on Facebook, and tell your friends! Set a goal to get 5 new friends, family, colleagues, or co-workers to vote every day for the cause. This would be a transformative gift for the organization and in the lives of the students on the 17 college campuses where Students of AMF Support Networks will be created within the next 9 months!

In summary: 1) vote daily (place on your calendar to do so) through www.refresheverything.com, sending a text to XXX, or through the mobile site at m.refresheverything.com
2) Buy Pepsi products and use the code below the cap or on the box for POWER VOTES, so that your vote counts for 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, or 100 votes for AMF that day!
3) promote this opportunity with your friends to spread support, connections and empowerment to college students suffering through grief

August 2, 2011: National Students of AMF will host the fourth annual National Conference on College Student Grief on August 5-7 in Raleigh, NC at the Brownstone Hotel on Hillsborough St. The conference will provide a national forum for student leaders, bereaved college students, the college mental health community, and others interested to discuss current issues and future directions in college student bereavement.

The event will occur over an energized weekend for our students and attendees including a box-seat ticket to a Durham Bulls game (courtesy of Capital Broadcasting), educational seminars, networking opportunities, and grief support workshops. Student Scholarships, provided through the support of our dedicated supporters, will be covering the flight and hotel costs for our student leaders to attend!

Even though it is short notice, please consider attending if you are at all interested in any of these issues (mental health, college student life, grief support or counseling)! Visit http://2011nccsg.eventbrite.com/ for more information and to register!

Visit http://2011nccsg.eventbrite.com/ for more information and to register!

Who should attend?

Students of AMF chapter leaders and advisors

Grief/bereavement counselors and researchers

College professors, clergy, and administrators

Mental health professionals and social workers

Hospice professionals

Why?

To learn what resources are available to assist bereaved college students

To gain a first-hand perspective of the needs of bereaved college students

To gain exposure to service opportunities for campus communities to channel energies into positive outlets

To meet Students of AMF chapter leaders from across the country!

To learn best practices and exchange ideas on chapter development

To explore trends in college student bereavement

Preliminary schedule of events

Friday, August 5

4:00pm – 6:00pm Conference check-in
6:00pm Depart from hotel for social activity (optional)
7:00pm – 10:00pm Durham Bulls baseball game (the team made famous by the movie Bull Durham)

Saturday, August 7

7:00am – 8:00am Breakfast/Conference check-in
8:00am – 12:00pm Sessions
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch and participant break
1:00pm – 5:00pm Sessions
5:00pm Dinner on your own

Sunday, August 8

7:00am – 8:00am Breakfast
8:00am – 12:00pm Sessions
12:00pm – 2:00pm Lunch and closing session

Logistical Details

Conference Hotel

Brownstone Hotel & Conference Center (a Holiday Inn property)
1701 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh NC 27605
Toll Free 800.331.7919
Tel: 919.828.0811
www.brownstonehotel.com

Students of AMF has negotiated a discounted room rate of $80/night for single/double occupancy rooms. All reservations for our AMF-student members will be made by the National Students of AMF office once you have completed the Eventbrite online registration by July 21st*. If you are not an AMF-student member, you will be expected to call Four Points directly to book (request the “Grief Conference Block”) by July 21st. After this date, our block is released and all attendees are responsible for their own hotel charges (note that the $80 rate may not be honored after July 21st).

*Students of AMF chapter attendees (up to three per chapter including students and faculty advisors) are eligible for 100% payment (by National Students of AMF) of their lodging and travel. All requests must be submitted via Eventbrite online registration or by emailing David@studentsofamf.org to receive a paper registration form. As student scholarships are in high demand, registrants will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is recommended that you complete and submit the form as soon as possible.

Attire

Conference attendees are encouraged to wear business casual attire. For men, that would include khaki pants or slacks with a polo or button-down shirt or sweater; for women, this equates to a casual dress, skirt, or nice pants. Attire for the Durham Bulls game is casual and can include shorts and t-shirts.

Travel

Air: The nearest airport is Raleigh-Durham International (RDU). The airport is approximately 3 miles from the hotel.

From airport: Ground transportation from the airport will be arranged based on information submitted during registration and subsequent flight arrangements.

Rental car: For those who choose to rent a car (at their own cost), the RDU Airport is home to most major rental car agencies.

Parking: Parking at the hotel is available at no cost.

Weather

August is typically a warm month in Raleigh. The average high is 86 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Things to do in Raleigh

The conference hotel is conveniently located near the North Carolina State University campus and Hillsborough Street, and a short distance from the Glenwood South, Fayetteville Street, and Warehouse districts.

Cancellation Policy

Registration fees will be refunded for all cancellations made by July 21st. Once booked, air travel paid by National Students of AMF is non-refundable. Therefore, in the event of a cancellation, the cancelling party will be responsible for repayment to National Students of AMF. For hotel rooms paid by National Students of AMF, the cancelling party will be liable for 100% of the cost of the room after July 21.

The 2011 NC Tigers Charity Golf Classic will be held at River Ridge Country Club on August 28, 2011. Proceeds will benefit the NC Tigers Club Australian Rules Football Team and the Students of AMF Charity.

Sunday, August 28 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Location
River Ridge Country Club
3224 Auburn-Knightdale Road
Raleigh, NC

Registration form and payment information can be found at:

http://www.carolinatigers.​com/#!golf-day

The price for participation is $80 and includes a full round of Captain’s Choice format golf followed by a catered dinner. Prizes will be awarded to the top team and for other random reasons. At 1pm, all teams will tee off on varying holes (shotgun start). Get there early to get some practice on the driving range (unlimited range balls available as part of the cost), chipping area, and putting greens. When all teams are done, we will host a catered dinner for all to enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a Facebook message or email president@nctigers.com. Thanks!

Go to http://www.carolinatigers.com/#!golf-day for more info.

June 21, 2011:
The National Students of AMF Support Network is pleased to announce that we have received 88 applicants for our Executive Director position. We have a 7-member Search Committee that has begun to narrow that pool down. We plan to have the next Executive Director decided on by the middle of July.

He or she will be responsible for programming, fundraising and day-to-day management of the organization in Raleigh, NC. Incorporated in 2006, the organization’s mission is to provide support to college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one. The organization helps students start Campus Chapters, provides information and grief support through www.studentsofamf.org, and raises awareness about college student grief through programs nationwide. Experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and volunteer management is essential for success in this role. This is a unique opportunity to create a legacy within this vibrant, young organization.