Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Project Jason - Diane Chamberlain

Project Jason - Diane Chamberlain

First National Retreat for Families of Missing Persons

First National Retreat for Families of Missing Persons


Hello,



This is our Keys to Healing press release sent as a FYI to our friends and supporters.



Thank you for caring about the missing.



Kelly





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE







First National Retreat for Families of Missing Persons

To Help Families Cope With Unique Loss





“Keys to Healing” Retreat June 12-14 sponsored by nonprofit Project Jason to teach families methods for dealing with trauma, “living in the not knowing.”





Omaha, Nebraska – (May 2009) – Project Jason, a nonprofit that assists families of missing persons, announced the first national retreat ever to focus specifically on the wellbeing of family members who are searching for their lost loved ones. “Keys to Healing: Mind, Body, and Spirit” will take place June 12-14 at the Swanson Center at Camp Carol Joy Holling near Omaha in Ashland, Nebraska.



“There are resources that teach families of the missing the mechanics of what to do when someone disappears,” said Kelly Jolkowski, president and founder of Project Jason. “Until now, there were no opportunities for family members of both missing children and adults to focus on the emotional and physical trauma that understandably accompanies such an ordeal. We want the families who attend Keys to Healing to walk away with better coping skills, self-understanding and renewed hope.”



The retreat is open to family members of missing persons whose cases are listed with law enforcement agencies in North America. Sessions will be conducted by professional instructors, including a licensed counselor, personal trainer, dietician, missing person advocate, massage therapist, and a minister of faith. Attendees will learn how long term trauma affects the body, how to address that trauma, and how to recognize and handle emotions such as guilt, fear and anger that come into play. There will also be a session designed to answer the question of “How do I go on?”



Featured speakers:



Duane T. Bowers, LPC, is the nation’s foremost traumatic loss therapist and educator. Among his many services to families dealing with grief is providing support to families of abducted, missing, exploited and murdered children through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and to families of missing persons of any age through Project Jason’s Healing Harbor. Bowers is the author of “Guiding Your Family Through Loss and Grief” and “A Child is Missing: Providing Support for Families of Missing Children.”



Richard J. Hauser, S.J., is a professor of theology at Creighton University, a nationally-renowned speaker, and author of numerous books, including “In His Spirit: A Guide to Today's Spirituality” and “Finding God in Troubled Times,” in which Hauser offers meaningful answers to all those who have found their faith challenged by difficult experiences.



For more information about “Keys to Healing: Mind, Body, and Spirit”

Project Jason Retreat 2009, go to http://www.projectjason.org/retreat.html.



**Media attendance at the retreat, and interviews with Project Jason representatives and families, are accommodated upon request.



About Project Jason



Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing persons, and creating and increasing public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason brings hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support. The organization is based in Omaha, Nebraska.



For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org
Project Jason Supporters: Win an Autographed Book

Win an Autographed Book! (proceeds benefit nonprofit organization Project Jason)


Win an autographed copy of award-winning author Diane Chamberlain's Book "Secrets She Left Behind." This book is a tale about a missing woman which has Project Jason incorporated into the story as the family begins their search efforts.
The contest is handled in the form of a silent auction. Persons interested in winning the books will email their bid to Kelly.jolkowski@projectjason.org. $15.00 will be the starting bid. Your bid will need to be higher than $15.00. (There are 3 books up for silent auction.....1 book per bidder)

In case of any ties for the 3 books, the winning bidders will be sent an email notification on Monday, June 15th, informing them of the tie and asking them to make one more bid higher than the previous one.

The persons with the 3 highest bids will be notified via email and will then be asked to submit payment in the amount of their winning bid. After payment is received, the book will then be sent to them via US mail. Payment can be made via PayPal or Change.org on the Project Jason website, or the winner can mail a check or money order to Project Jason. Remember, you are bidding on one book. The three persons with the highest bids wins.

The book is a standard size paperback. The winners may choose to have Diane personalize her autograph or just sign her name. The winners may then also choose for the book to also be autographed by Kelly Jolkowski before mailing it to them.

A portion of the winning bid can be considered a donation since Project Jason is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Per IRS regulations, the amount above the retail or fair cost of the item can be deducted on the winner's federal income tax return.

About the Book:

When single mother Sara Weston disappears, she leaves her teenage son Keith alone with his questions. Where has Sara gone? How could she abandon him—especially now, when he struggles to overcome injuries resulting from a fire. But his scars aren’t merely physical. The girl charged with setting the fire is Maggie Lockwood, the half-sister he only recently learned he had. The half-sister who’s lived in luxury while he and his mother struggled to make ends meet.

With money running out and no answers about his mother’s disappearance, the person Keith despises most is the closest thing he has to family—until Sara returns. If Sara returns....

An engrossing novel, SECRETS SHE LEFT BEHIND is an intricate puzzle in which the overall picture becomes clear piece by piece. Rich with characters as familiar as your neighbors, family and friends, readers will find themselves questioning whether the past can ever truly be overcome, and how much forgiveness is too much to ask.

About Diane Chamberlain:

Diane Chamberlain is an award-winning author of 18 novels published in more than 11 languages. She writes complex stories about love, compassion and forgiveness.

Her books, which are often set in her home state of North Carolina, feature a combination of family drama, intrigue and suspense.
Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C. She also was a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

Diane’s background in psychology and her work in hospitals have given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create real, living, breathing characters.

Sneak peek on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Left-Behind-Diane-Chamberlain/dp/0778326152

More about author Diane Chamberlain: http://dianechamberlain.com/chamberlain-bio.htm

Diane shares how she came into contact with Project Jason: http://dianechamberlain.com/blog/2008/07/project_jason.html

A Cry for Help