November 07, 2024
Column

Down East Hospice offers bereavement services

Bereavement: The Journey through Grief” is the title of a workshop to be presented by licensed professional counselor Marjorie Withers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Kay Parker Building, 66 Hadley Lake Road in Machias.

The site is handicapped-accessible.

Refreshments will be provided, but you are asked to bring a bag lunch and dress comfortably. The workshop will include several breaks.

Sponsored by Down East Hospice, the registration fee is $20. However, that fee may be waived, and tuition aid is available for Hospice volunteers.

Continuing education units are available for an additional fee, and CEU registration forms will be available at the workshop.

And while preregistration by Thursday, Nov. 4, would be appreciated, you will be able to register on the day of the event, if that is necessary.

“We want to give people as much chance as possible to participate,” said Barbara Barnett of Down East Hospice.

DEH is a volunteer, nonprofit program licensed by the state that provides free support services to the terminally ill and their families in Washington County.

According to the brochure, DEH is offering the workshop “to help increase the understanding of bereavement and its implications for the grieving person and those supporting him or her.”

Barnett said that the workshop is especially timely as we approach the holiday season, which can be especially difficult for those who are ill or grieving the loss of a loved one.

Today we join family and friends of Mabel Wadsworth of Bangor to wish her a happy 94th birthday.

It is our privilege that this Maine pioneer in women’s health care lives and works among us, but it is not just her birthday we celebrate today.

It is also the 20th anniversary of the founding of the institution that bears her name: the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, which proudly proclaims itself the state’s “only independent feminist health center.”

Congratulations and best wishes to both Bangor “institutions,” Mabel Wadsworth and MWWHC.

On behalf of the Roque Bluffs Community Center, Gail Peters reminds everyone in that area that their roadside cleanup begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the community center, where you will receive a town trash bag and stick.

She suggests you wear clothing in bright colors like hunter orange, and she says that “gloves are important, too.

“Our goal is to cover every road in Roque Bluffs,” she wrote, adding that volunteers with pickup trucks are needed to take the trash to the recycling center in Machias.

“This has become a semi-annual event for the town, with many hands helping to make it light work. Let’s keep Roque Bluffs clean and green. See you on Saturday.”

Here’s a good suggestion for Halloween from the folks at U.S. Cellular.

When you send your kids out to trick-or-treat, send them with a cell phone in addition to the usual flashlight, candy container and a curfew.

Jim Holmes, sales director of U.S. Cellular in New England, says, “Cell phones give parents a safety net,” enabling them to get in touch with their children, wherever they may be.

He reminds you that you can send text messages, create voice memos and even set an alarm clock to let them know when it’s time to come home.

For information on Halloween safety, he suggests you visit the National Safety Council’s Web site at www.nsc.org.

A benefit potluck supper is planned for 10-year-old Tyler Wintle of Dexter at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Dexter United Methodist Church, 59 Main St.

You are asked to bring a food dish to share, if you can, but it is not required.

Admission is by donation, and all proceeds benefit Tyler’s family.

DUMC Pastor Lois Field wrote that Tyler was diagnosed 21/2 years ago with brain cancer.

“He has had several operations and treatments,” she explained, and “he just recently had brain surgery at the Children’s Hospital in Boston.”

The only child of Scott and Sandra Wintle is now at home, “trying to regain enough strength to continue his treatment plan,” she added. “Tyler is a very courageous boy who has endured a great deal of suffering.”

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like