Volunteer Hospice to host grief group in June

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 26, 2021

A five-week grief support group series kicks off from 1-3 p.m. Monday, June 7, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., in Sequim, and a six-week grief support group series starts from 2-3:30 p.m. on June 8 in the Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC) conference room, 829 E. Eighth St.,Port Angeles.

Sponsored by Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC), the Sequim group is facilitated by Debby Smith, who had a 35-year career as a registered nurse and has been a hospice volunteer for 25 years.

She brings her wealth of experience in leading grief support groups, breast cancer patient care and psychiatric medicine, program organizers say. Her goal is to provide a safe atmosphere for open dialogue about the death and grief process and lessen the fear and anxiety associated with loss.

The Port Angeles group will be facilitated by Donna Geer, who has a professional coaching certification, is the advisor to veteran students at Peninsula College and owns Shore Pine Productions. Her experiences with death and dying have helped her appreciate the importance of providing a safe place to talk about the death of a loved one.

Though there is no charge, space is limited in both groups and participants must pre-register with the VHOCC office by calling 360-452-1511. Both groups are likely to fill quickly, organizers say.

Another Sequim-area group will be offered mid-August.

Orientations set

Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County offers monthly orientations for those interested in learning more about or volunteering with the organization.

June sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m.-noon (online) on Thursday, June 3, and 10-11 a.m. Friday, June 4, at 829 E. Eighth St., Port Angeles.

Volunteer positions are available to fit individual schedules and talents, and training is offered, organizers say. Positions in equipment delivery are open for both Port Angeles and Sequim areas. Respite and office positions are also available.

‘Practical Tools’ class set

VHOCC is offering “Empower Yourself: Practical Tools for Living Alone,” a series of workshops, to offer support and advice to help with some of these new challenges.

The series started in May and will address “Shopping & Cooking for One” on Wednesday, June 2. It then continues through July with a focus on household finances, consumer protection and fraud prevention, and self-care.

Scheduled every other Wednesday from 2-3:30 p.m., the series is free to the public with some meetings online and some in-person. In-person meetings are limited to a small group and require masks to respect current meeting guidelines.

Participants must register; do so by calling VHOCC at 360-452-1511 or by emailing to office@vhocc.org.

Rosalinda Castiglioni will facilitate the “Shopping & Cooking for One” workshop in-person on June 2. Castiglioni was an educator and teaching psychologist, having taught both in the U.S. and abroad. Castiglioni, who does outreach with the VHOCC’s Ambassador Committee and facilitates a monthly drop-in grief support group, said her love for cooking and being on her own for years has drawn her to present the “Cooking for One workshop.”

About VHOCC

Since 1978, VHOCC has been providing free hospice services to patients and their families in Clallam County from Diamond Point to Joyce. Part of VHOCC’s mission is to offer grief support groups, not only to families of hospice patients, but to anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a loved one.

For more information, visit VHOCC.org or facebook.com/Volunteerhospiceofclallamcounty or call 360-452-1511.