NORWICH – Hospice of Chenango County has a unique opportunity for caring individuals to volunteer in their Bereavement Department. The non-profit health care agency seeks to train up to eight persons due to an increase in demand for services from Hospice families, and the community at large.
After a Hospice patient dies, a designated Social Worker provides bereavement care for at least thirteen months. This time frame encompasses an entire calendar year of firsts; the first Thanksgiving without the loved one; the first birthday or wedding anniversary, etc. “Significant dates can trigger a grief response greater than the survivor might expect,” says Bereavement Coordinator Brenda Birdsall. “We want to make sure we’re available to lend emotional support when it’s needed the most.”
Birdsall will hold two mandatory training sessions for potential Bereavement Volunteers, the first on Thursday, April 8, and another a week later on April 16 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hospice office on Hayes Street in Norwich. Trainees will learn how to make phone calls to families in that 13-month post death period, as well as help Birdsall prepare for or co-facilitate grief support groups and workshops.
Persons interested in assisting the Hospice Bereavement Program should be open-minded, possess good phone etiquette, and demonstrate maturity, respect and concern for others. Computer skills are helpful but not necessary.
If you have a desire to help those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, and would like to explore the possibility of becoming a valuable member of the Hospice team, call Brenda Birdsall at 334-3556 by April 3rd to register for the two night training. You may also contact her via email by visiting the agency’s website at www.hospicechenango.org.