Jan Janek, our amazing colleague lost her best friend and husband George unexpectedly on Friday morning. Jan and George just celebrated 30 years of marriage on August 10th and they have one son, Christopher. 

Jan and George had a beautiful story that ended too quickly and as her friend and colleague it is my hope we demonstrate our CommonSpirit Mission and vision of spreading Christ's healing ministry to her and Christopher at this time. 

If you had the pleasure to meet George, you know he was a gregarious man who loved to talk with people. Jan told me he was also a child actor, spoke fluent french and mixed an amazing cocktail. He loved music and reading and his weekly poker game with friends. Jan and George both loved baseball, though they disagreed on teams. :) He was a Tigers and Red Sox fan and Jan, well, we know she loves her Dodgers. Their honeymoon was a tour of a series of baseball parks - I can't think of something more endearing and American.

Lisa and I created this page so you can show Jan and Christopher some love through practical ways. A card, flowers, a gift certificate for dinner, etc. You are of course under no obligation to do so, we just wanted to create a space for our team to provide for Jan in this way, should you chose to.

Loss of a Partner / Spouse

Grief/Loss

Jan Janek

Love for Jan and Christopher

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What is the best gift anytime? A Target eGift Card. With no fees and no expiration dates, the real question is: who couldn't use a gift card from Target?
Why We Love This Gift: Whether as a baby gift or to replenish supplies around the house, to cheer up a sick kid, or help someone with prescription costs, you can almost always find exactly what you need at Target. We love this gift because it enables your recipient with endless options and the ability to purchase precisely what they need - no questions asked.
What To Say In Your Card: I thought this might come in handy. I am sending you so much love!

Target eGiftCard

Target

Target eGiftCard - Target Gift Card

Give the gift of take-out. Seriously, the perfect gift for any situation.
Why We Love This Gift: We love this gift because it is take-out and everyone loves take-out. It gives your recipient the flexibility to order exactly what they want, when they want it. Pregnancy cravings are no joke. Neither is the stress level of a single parent on a school night. Young professionals who get sick often hate the loss of their own agency. The capacity to choose one's own dinner is not to be underestimated. Nothing says I love you like Pad Thai.
What To Express in Your Card: I wanted you to be able to choose your own meal. I am thinking of you!

Grubhub Gift Card

Grubhub

Grubhub Gift Card - Grub Hub Gift Card

Whole Foods Market is the leading natural and organic food retailer. Whole Foods Market gift cards never expire and can be redeemed at any location.
Why We Love This Gift: Whole Foods is a veritable cornucopia of outstanding food - fresh and delicious. Editors at Give InKind love nothing more than a wander through the aisles of perfectly ripe cheese, succulent fruit, organic meat and more. Whole Foods has terrific pre-made options which are a great gift for families needing to spend time in hospitals, for busy families on the go - and more. A contributor remembers the months she spent trying to stay healthy herself as she nursed her daughter through in-hospital pediatric oncology care. Healthy options helped a great deal.
What To Express in Your Card: I know you don't always know what you want until you see it. I am just wanting to say that I am thinking of you and sending all my love. I want you to feed your body good things.

Whole Foods Market&reg; eGift Card

Whole Foods Market is the leading natural and organic food retailer. Whole Foods Market gift cards never expire and can be redeemed at any location.

Amazon

Whole Foods Market&reg; eGift Card - Whole Foods Market® eGift Card

Good at over 25,000 locations nationwide, recipients can use their Spafinder gift card for a massage or facial, yoga or pilates classes, acupuncture or chiropractic, or over 25 total services. Encourage your loved one to take a break for themselves with a wellness gift card they can use anytime. Available in any denomination between $25 - $500.
Why We Love This Gift: This is one of those gifts perfect in just about any situation. New moms and those facing stressful pregnancies love a massage. When facing illness, those affected do too. To be frank, self-care is often the first casualty of any crisis. When people are incurring unexpected costs at an alarming rate, the first thing to go are the "luxuries." However, those who face highly stressful situations with long/uncertain outcome are precisely those who should practice aggressive self-care. They won't do it for themselves. You do it for them. Pamper them. Let them know you want them to take a break and that their well-being is a priority.
What to Express in Your Card: I hope you don't mind my sending you this gift certificate. There is no one I know more in need of a massage/facial/yoga class. I know you won't do it for yourself - so I wanted to do it for you. I am sending you love.

Spafinder Wellness 365&trade; eGift Card

Spafinder Wellness 365&trade; eGift Card - SpaFinder Gift Card

Healing a Spouse's Grieving Heart offers 100 practical, here-and-now suggestions for helping widowers or widows mourn the loss of a spouse or partner. Intended to provide a framework for coping and helping surviving spouses to integrate their grief and chart a course for their future.
Why We Love This Gift: We love this gift because we like to find ways to encourage people to talk about the experience of grief. The first step towards that is to make sense of it. Or to try. We offer this respectfully. We have been there.
What To Express in Your Card: I am thinking so much about you. I was hoping we could meet for dinner. Are you free on Monday? I would like to listen if you would like to talk.

Healing a Spouse's Grieving Heart

Written after his wife's tragic death as a way of surviving the "mad midnight moment," A Grief Observed is C.S. Lewis's honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. This work contains his concise, genuine reflections on that period: "Nothing will shake a man -- or at any rate a man like me -- out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself." This is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings.
Why We Love This Gift: We love this gift because it is an honest exploration of grief written from the perspective of a preeminent male writer. It explores and conveys universal truths about what it means to live, to love, to mourn. (Patton Oswalt recently described this book as helpful to him following the sudden death of his wife earlier in 2016).
What To Express In Your Card: I am heartbroken for you. I am thinking of you constantly and I am sending you all the support I can offer. Ask me anything.

A Grief Observed

Bearaby's Weighted Blanket for Kids is made with nothing but layer upon layer of soft, organic cotton.
Highly breathable, wonderfully cozy, and utterly calming. 
Let's look at how the sleep-loving, kid hugging weighted blanket for kids, the Nappling can help your child:
<ul>
<li>Better sleep: If your child has trouble calming down at nap or bedtime, a Nappling could be just what they need. Weighted blankets provide a natural, soothing tool to help kids settle to sleep easier and bring about deeper, better sleep.</li>
<li>Better focus: A child who is well-rested finds it easier to stay on-task. A weighted blanket can help kids stay focused, which helps them flourish in their academic and social development.</li>
<li>Calmer hearts, minds, and bodies: A weighted blanket can help ease child anxiety. It's a simple, drug-free method that calms a child's anxious thoughts, feelings, and that growing little body.</li>
<li>Treats symptoms of autism and ADHD: Weighted blankets can help children (and adults) with autism or ADHD cope with symptoms of sensory overload and hyperactivity.</li>
</ul>
Why We Love It: We love this gift because, during times of grief or anxiety, a weighted blanket can provide a biological cue for children to relax. The feeling of a weighted blanket "hug" signals to the brain that it's time to quiet their thoughts and slide into sleep - making it a fantastic gift to parents with children of any age.
What To Express In Your Card: I know how stressful things have been for you and the little one(s). I hope this blanket offers them some solace during times of stress. Please, call me if you need anything else - I love you!

Bearaby: Weighted Blanket for Kids - The Nappling

Bearaby’s Weighted Blanket for Kids is made with nothing but layer upon layer of soft, organic cotton.

Bearaby

With your favorite restaurants at your fingertips, DoorDash satisfies your cravings and connects you with possibilities -- more time and energy for yourself and those you love.
Why We Love This Gift: In every situation, food is necessary. Let your recipient select exactly what they want to eat - and have it delivered. Win and Win.
What To Express in Your Card: I am thinking of you and I want you to eat something that appeals to you. You choose. xo

DoorDash Gift Card

DoorDash

DoorDash Gift Card - Door Dash Gift Card

Everyone deserves the gift of self-care. Give the nourishing gift of self-care with Joy Organic's Self-Care Bundle, created to take care of the ones you love and includes:
<ul>
<li>Lavender 25mg CBD Bath Bombs - 4 Pack</li>
<li>Unscented CBD Salve Stick - .5oz Stick</li>
<li>250mg CBD Cream - 1oz Bottle</li>
</ul>
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Use coupon code 'inkind' to get 20% off your order! 
Why We Love This Gift: At Give InKind, we believe that natural support is better support. Plus, who couldn't use a loving reminder to engage in a much-needed self-care ritual? 
What To Express In Your Card: I want you to take some time to yourself and relax - hope this helps! I love you.

Joy Organics: CBD Self-Care Bundle

Joy Organics

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Give InKind

General Support

Setting up a food train is one of the best ways to help support someone you love. Here are some tips on how to give groceries as a gift.

How to Give Groceries as a Gift for a Meal Train

How to Give Groceries as a Gift for a Meal Train - Give InKind

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Modern Couple At Coffee Shop

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Screen Shot 2020-01-14 at 11.15.20 AM

David Shafer

Best-selling author David Shafer on why it is better to acknowledge grief - even if we say the wrong thing. Visit Give InKind for articles, information, and a new way to schedule meals and offer concrete assistance to the bereaved.

Grief: Better To Say The Wrong Thing Than Nothing At All

New York Times Best-selling author David Shafer on acknowledging grief. Visit Give InKind for information and concrete ways to help the bereaved.

flowers

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Tara Shafer

Consider what you want to convey in your gift of flowers. Here are some considerations in making a selection. Visit Give InKind for information, articles, and a new way to schedule food and support to those in times of need.

What Flowers Express: In Illness & In Grief

Consider what you wish to express in your selection. Visit Give InKind for ideas, information, and a new way to schedule meals in times of need.

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Love for Jan and Christopher

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