Join Abria’s Chase founders Ayana and June Lewis for Testimonial Tuesday on Facebook Live to hear stories from those who have suffered life-altering experiences and how they have worked through challenges to come out on the other side.
The Lewises established the Abria’s Chase Foundation in the wake of a tragic housefire that claimed the lives of their children, Abria and Chase, in November 2009.
The week of Oct. 5-11 is Fire Safety Week, and the Lewises said their mission, through the foundation, is to try to help others.
“We didn’t want this to happen to anybody else,” Ayana said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We wanted to help others…we wanted to do the preventive end,” she said. In partnership with the American Red Cross and the local fire department, Abria’s Chase provides and installs free of charge smoke detectors and batteries. Call 252.430.9913 to learn more about how to sign up for this program.
But that’s not all Abria’s Chase offers. The Lewises started a support group in 2010 for parents who have experienced the loss of a child.
“June and I had one another to depend on and lean on,” Ayana explained, and they wanted to provide a similar support to others who may need it.
“It was such a big help for us, as well as the men and women,” Ayana said. The Loss of A Child Support Group meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 p.m.
A support group for young people meets on the fourth Thursday of the month, too. It’s a time when children can come together and learn coping skills to help them navigate through the grief process.
As the holidays approach – often, the most difficult time for those who grieve the loss of a family member – they open up the support group to provide grief support, not just for parents but to families who may be interested in participating.
June encourages men experiencing loss or grief to reach out for help.
“It can be a hard thing for a man to communicate feelings,” June said. But talking to someone can help. “It really makes a huge difference,” he said.
The Lewises compare unexpressed feelings to an unopened soda can. The can holds pressure, and if it’s not used properly, the contents can get on things it was not intended to get on, June said.
Talking to someone – to relieve that pressure – can create positive, healthier outcomes.
Abria’s Chase Foundation has a cheer competition fundraiser coming up on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m.
All proceeds go to helping the foundation continue its work to provide support to the community. Ayana said there’s still time to enter the competition. Call 252.430.9913 to learn how.
To learn more about the organization, visit http://www.abriaschasefoundation.org/
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