04/25/2003

Donations to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund should be sent to the Rhode Island Foundation. Checks should be made payable to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, c/o Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903. Please mark "Station Nightclub Fund" on the envelope.

Victims and families seeking assistance should call (877) 748-3700.

Counseling, medical support

The American Lung Association of Rhode Island's Call Center has registered nurses and respiratory therapists available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to answer questions about lung damage from all sources, including fire. The center's number is (800) 548-8252.

Friends Way, 146 Duke St., East Greenwich, a children's bereavement center, is offering the following services to the families affected by The Station fire. Peer-based support groups for those ages 3 to 19 are meeting every other week. Specialized groups are offered for children who have lost a loved one and for children whose loved ones have suffered a traumatic injury. There will be a one-week camp for those ages 8 to 16 the last week of July at Camp Davis in Charlestown, sponsored by the Rhode Island Juvenile Officers Association. For more information, call Sue at 884-0200.

The Rhode Island Victims' Advocacy & Support Center (RIVASC) and the Diocese of Providence will sponsor bimonthly informational support sessions for families and friends directly affected by The Station fire. The sessions are designed to provide information about practical issues that arise in the aftermath of violent death, as well as group support offering coping tips and linkage with others who share a similar loss. Sessions will be facilitated by counselors and victim advocates with expertise in dealing with violent loss. The last session will be held in the St. John the Baptist School cafeteria, 17 St. John St., West Warwick, Tuesday at 7 p.m. For more information, call 943-9266.

The Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals' Division of Behavioral Healthcare Services continues to respond to the mental-health needs of survivors, family members of victims, first-responders and health-care workers involved with the fire at The Station in West Warwick. For information on where to seek help in your community, call 462-3291, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit MHRH's Web site at www.mhrh.state.ri.us.

The Kent County Mental Health Center provides free support groups for family members of victims, witnesses and survivors at the center's Warwick office, at 300 Centerville Rd. Support groups are offered Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and are open to adults and children. For more information, call 738-4300.

Other fundraisers

Lois Guise, the bereavement program manager for Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, will facilitate bereavement-support group meetings for families and friends of The Station fire victims Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. Meetings are free. To register, call 727-7092.

The South Attleboro Knights of Columbus, 304 Highland Ave., South Attleboro, will hold a fundraiser for victims of The Station fire tomorrowfrom 6 to midnight. The evening will consist of a chicken and pasta dinner followed by the music of To The Limit. All proceeds will benefit The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund. Tickets are $15. For information, call Jim at 333-4946 or Joe at 728-4233.