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Helen Ciampi and Marcia Beasley, who are Alzheimer’s Association certified facilitators, will greet those attending in the large fellowship room located in the main church-building at 8480 E. Marvin Street across from the Elementary School house. Gathering precautions are being continued with distance seating, and ceiling fans operating while face masks and hand sanitizer are optional.

Support for the shared concerns and challenges expressed by all care-partners who are involved with a person experiencing dementia are always held in the strictest confidence and with respect. Caregivers may feel free to share whatever they feel comfortable sharing.

Group attendees are welcome to hand outs and other information available. We have forms for the Sheriff’s Office Special Person Registration to better assist those responding to Calls for Service. We have “Find-M’ Friends Scent Evidence Kits and DNR Forms. Also we have accumulated a small library of books on the subject and they are available on loan.

We want you to know that you are not alone. Support is available. Feel free to call Helen at 352-31-2867 or Marcia at 352-726-7740 for further information about the meetings.

St. Anne’s Church, 9870 W. Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, hosts a monthly “Grandparenting” program to offer support to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The program is held the second Wednesday of every month, from 5:30-7 p.m. There is no cost to participants.

This is a nonreligious program, for the purpose of helping our community. Children are invited and will meet separately from the grandparents. Pizza is served to the children; light snacks are served to the adults. Coffee, tea and lemonade are provided.

For more information, call the church at 352-795-2176 or Tom Thomas at 352-634-5516.

Celebrate Recovery meets at Hills Church, 2 Civic Circle, Beverly Hills, from 6-8 p.m. Mondays. This a Christ-centered recovery group for anyone who has a hurt, hang-up or habit that makes one’s life unmanageable.

For more information, call Tom and Sheila Boss, 410-353-7857.

The Women’s Breast Cancer Support Group meeting will be at 11:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at the Robert Boissoneault Oncology Institute in Lecanto.

A lite lunch will be provided so those interested in attending, contact Judy Bonard, facilitator of the group, at 352-220-3693 by Jan. 10.

Speaker for this meeting will be Arnold Virgilio of Virgilio Insurance Agency. He will be able to answer any questions about Medicare, Medicaid and any changes.

Any lady facing breast cancer or any survivor who has had breast cancer is welcome into this group of positive women and can be very supportive with any questions dealing with the diagnosis of breast cancer.

The meetings are always the second Friday of each month, except being closed June, July and August.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Citrus, in cooperation with Lifestream, is now offering a daytime Connection support group. Connection brings together people living with a mental health condition for education, discussion and empowerment.

The group will meet on the third Tuesday of the month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Lifestream drop-in center, 1554 N. Meadowcrest Blvd.

Attendees do not have to be a participant in the drop-in center. There is no charge to attend. For more details, call the NAMI resource line at 844-687-6264.

NAMI Citrus continues to offer family and peer support groups on Thursday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church of Inverness, 2018 W. Colonade St.

NAMI Citrus is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health wellness in the community through advocacy, education, empowerment, public awareness, support, and empowerment so all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

Bravera Health Seven Rivers Outpatient Rehab offers a Parkinson’s Support Group at 3 p.m. the third Thursday at 6151 N. Suncoast Blvd., Suite 2A, Crystal River.

Refreshments will be served. The Parkinson’s Support Group is for anyone that wants to know to learn more about Parkinson’s disease. The goal of the support group is to educate as many people about Parkinson’s as possible.

The support group meets monthly and includes guest speakers, dances, exercise classes and crafts as well as Table Talks. Table Talks give members the opportunity to converse and to ask and answer questions of one another.

Meetings are held various times every day. Go to the website for updated printable meeting schedule: http://www.ncintergroup.com or call the hotline at 352-621-0599.

Overeaters Anonymous will meets every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. in Room “D” of the YMCA, except for every fourth Tuesday of the month when it will be in the Healthy Living Center.

The YMCA is at 4127 W. Norvell Bryant Highway, Lecanto.

At Overeaters Anonymous all are welcome who have a problem with food and want to recover from compulsive overeating. There are no fees or dues.

Visit online at http://www.oa.org. For information, call Trish at 540-454-4600 and Cynthia at 513-240-4457.

The following TOPS weight loss support groups meet weekly in Citrus County:

• Chapter 692 at 9:30 a.m. Fridays at Grace Bible Church, 6382 W. Green Acres St. in Homosassa. Call 352-628-2024.
• Chapter 826 at 8:10 a.m. Tuesdays at First Lutheran Church, 1900 State Road 44 in Inverness. Call 352-464-1349.
• Chapter 743 at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the DAV building, 1039 N. Paul Drive in Inverness. Call 352-637-6553.
• Chapter 9365 at 10 a.m. Wednesdays at the First Christian Church of Homosassa, 7030 W. Grover Cleveland Blvd. Call 352-533-2607 or 352-212-8550.
• Chapter 408 at 2 p.m. Thursdays at the First Baptist Church, 700 N. Citrus Ave. in Crystal River. Call 352-212-7946.
• Chapter 443 at 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Dunnellon Women’s Club, 11756 Cedar St. Call 352-566-0742.
• Chapter 401 at 8 a.m. Wednesdays at First Baptist Church, 3790 Parsons Point Road in Hernando. Call 352-637-7196.

For more information about TOPS, visit tops.org.

The journey of grief is a painful process that you don’t have to walk alone. Grief is an emotional wound, which, similar to a physical wound, must be treated for proper healing. Being in a group of understanding and supportive people who are experiencing grief can make grieving easier. The group is open to anyone who has lost a loved one. GriefShare features videos of nationally recognized experts on grief topics and the stories of people who have healed from grief.

• A GriefShare support group meets at the First Baptist Church in Crystal River from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 700 N. Citrus Ave. For more information, call First Baptist Church at 352-795-3367 or visit griefshare.org.
• A new session of GriefShare at First Lutheran Church, 1900 W. State Road 44 in Inverness starts Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Call 352 726-1637 for more information.
• On Wednesdays, beginning on Jan. 11, a GriefShare group will meet at North Oak Church in Citrus Springs. This group is open to anyone and can be joined at any time. There is no charge for the group sessions. The church is at the corner of North Elkcam and North Citrus Springs boulevards in Citrus Springs. Call 352-489-1688 for more information.
• A GriefShare support group begins Jan. 9 at the Hernando Church of the Nazarene, 2101 N. Florida Ave. (U.S. 41) in Hernando on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon. All are welcome. Call the church office at 352-726-6144 or Ruth Brincefield at 352-212-0570 for more information.

Seven Rivers Church offers several support groups for family issues:

• Are your children angry, hurt, and confused about your separation or divorce? DivorceCare for Kids (DC4K) is a safe, fun place where your children, ages 5-10, can learn skills that will help them heal. DC4K groups blend games, music, stories, videos, and discussion to help kids process divorce and move forward. DivorceCare for Kids meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Seven Rivers Church.
• Relatives As Parents (RAP) is offered to grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the role of primary caregiver for related children. This support group is a free, informative support group meeting where you can gather with fellow grandparents and relative care providers who share similar experiences. Assorted topics will be discussed that can help you and the child you care for. RAP Support Group meets the second Thursday of each month at Seven Rivers Church.
• Teen MOPS is a faith-based, supportive, and safe environment where teen moms (22 and younger) can come together with other moms who are in a similar life stage. Through Teen MOPS, young moms can build friendships and grow as parents in a place where they are fully known and deeply loved. Teen MOPS meets at Seven Rivers Church. Visit the website for meeting dates.

For more information about these groups, visit http://www.sevenrivers.org or call the church office at 352-746-6200.

Faith Lutheran Church offers a grief support group that meets the first Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the fellowship hall. The church is at 935 S. Crystal Glen Drive, Lecanto.

Grief comes in many forms and for many reasons. The support group helps those in the midst of loss take the journey in finding who they are.

For more information, call 352-527-3325.

Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one is welcome to find help, hope and healing at one of the many grief support groups provided by Friends of Citrus Grief Services.

• “Grief Study” is a faith-based grief study support group that meets at the Wings Grief Center in Homosassa Springs each Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
• “Grief Toolbox” support groups, which help participants acquire the essential tools needed to deal with their grief through video presentations, handouts and group discussions meet every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the YMCA in Lecanto, at 1:30 p.m. every Tuesday at First Christian Church of Inverness (2018 Colonade St., Education Building) and 2 p.m. at the Wings Grief Center in Homosassa Springs.
• “The Compassionate Friends,” a support network for those who have lost a child of any age, a sibling or grandchild, meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Wings Grief Center in Homosassa Springs.

Friends of Citrus and the Nature Coast is a charitable organization providing community grief support for anyone who has experienced a loss, adults and children; telephone support; grief support resources for all ages; educational materials for parents and teachers; and children’s grief support camps. Find them at 8471 W. Periwinkle Lane in Homosassa Springs. For more information, call 352-249-1470.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Bereavement Support Group meets from 1-2:30 p.m. every Thursday at the church on U.S. 19, 300 yards south of Cardinal and just past Walmart.

The group takes a positive approach to grief by helping grievers learn how to make a new life, even when they don’t want to. Just come, sit and listen. Thirty years of experience has taught them how to help make a positive difference in a person’s life. Anyone can attend.

For more information, call 352-220-1959.

The Citrus Library Coping Connection, a service to provide virtual support to care partners and families of individuals living with dementia, will continue during 2022. The service is designed primarily for individuals who do not have access to their own computer.

Conducted online, meetings will be hosted by certified dementia practitioner Debbie Selsavage from 1 to 3 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays monthly. The connection hub is at the Central Ridge Library, 425 W. Roosevelt Blvd. in Beverly Hills.

Participants must arrive at the library by 12:50 p.m. the day of the meeting. They are not required to remain for the full two hours.

The program is free and available to anyone. For more information, call 352-746-6622 or 352-422-3663.

The free Memory Lane Support Group & Respite Program meets from 1 to 3 p.m. every Monday at First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, 8831 W. Bradshaw St.

This program has been in existence for nearly 10 years. It started as a support group for caregivers, but quickly evolved into a support group for those caring for loved ones with memory issues and dementia.

For more information, call 352-628-4083 or visit 1umc.org.