Upcoming Grad Council Calls (8/2024)

Dear Guiding Eyes Graduate Family,

This is Ashley Townsend and guide dog Lolly from the Grad Council. As mentioned in Nikki Wentz’s graduate communication last week, I’m reaching out to inform you that we will be hosting two graduate support groups in the coming weeks on 8/27 and 9/10.

The Bereavement Group will be for graduates who have experienced the loss of a guide, or who are anticipating that their guide will soon pass away. The Retirement Group will be for graduates who have retired a guide or who are preparing to retire a guide. Zoom information for each group is below.

The Grad Council is dedicated to providing support to graduates and their guides in every part of their journeys. The precious bonds that we share with our guides deserve safe and intentional spaces where we can share openly about our challenges, triumphs, and memories. Whether you are preparing to retire a guide or have retired a guide at any time—we want to honor the changes you are facing. For any graduates who are anticipating the passing of a guide, or who have experienced the loss of a guide at any time—we want to hear your story and honor the life of your beloved friend.

We hope that you will join us and recognize that this can be a difficult choice to make. There is a beautiful expression that goes:

“We hurt as deep as we love”

Our tender feelings are a reminder of our everlasting love for our guides.

Our journeys as guide teams are each unique, and marked by beautiful memories, challenges, and every human emotion there is to experience. We want to honor your experience, and be with you where you are in your journey.

For those of you who hold a special place in your heart for facilitating grief and processing groups—we are looking to expand our network of support for graduates facing these challenging transitions. In order to increase these supports, we will need to draw from the compassionate strengths of our community. If you are interested in being involved in a rotation of facilitators for these groups, please contact me at the following:

Ashley Townsend
Email: ashleytownsend421@gmail.com

Our initial goal is to hold these meetings quarterly for graduates facing retirement and graduates in bereavement. This means we will have the August/September meetings, as well as another round of retirement and bereavement meetings before the end of this year. The ultimate goal will be to offer the meetings monthly beginning in 2025. 

Within our Guiding Eyes family, there will always be a need for these supports, as many of us will be facing these milestones at any given point in time. 

Let’s work together to take good care of ourselves and each other through every season of our lives as guide dog handlers!

Gratefully,

Ashley Townsend & Lolly