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August 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun
Health & Beauty Helpful grief programs abound locally By Jill Straw A recent article in USA Today featured the importance of grief workshops following the loss of a loved one. There are several organizations in the area that offer such programs to the general public. Serenity Hospice and Home, formerly Ogle County Hospice, has a variety of support groups that are open to the public, not just those who had a loved one in hospice. Movie and Discussion Night is held the first Monday of the month at Serenity Home in Oregon. Serenity Lunch Bunch is the first Thursday of the month in KSB Hospital Dining Area. First Steps is the second Tuesday of the month at various area restaurants. C.A.F.E. (Coffee And Friends, ETC.) meets the second Friday of the month at Serenity Home. Breakfast Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at River’s Edge Inn in Dixon. H.U.G.S. (Helping Understand Grief for Survivors) is held the third Thursday of the month at Serenity Home. Serenity Hospice and Home also has fund-raising events. Recently, they held a butterfly release fund-raiser for those who had lost a loved one in the last year.
Lynn Knodle, executive director at Serenity Hospice, shared some pictures from that event. Some additional fund-raisers include Angel Treasures Resale Shop in Mount Morris, the Jonathon Knodle Memorial Golf Play Day, the Rick Hahn Memorial Walk/Run and the Garden Luncheon. There is also a Gazebo and Gardens Memorial on Serenity Home’s grounds. Loved ones are memorialized through pavers, wall stones, pillars, benches and trees. Hospice of the Rock River Valley in Dixon is another organization that offers bereavement groups and individual counseling to the public. Sarah Cebula, a bereavement counselor, said that Hospice of the Rock River Valley offers Camp Love ‘n Loss--Youth Bereavement Day Camp. Other events held by H.R.R.V. include a Memorial Service, Birdies For Charity, and a Memorial Golf Outing. There is a memorial garden at H.R.R.V. Paving bricks are available for purchase in memory of a loved one. There is also a garden bridge and pond. Karen Voss provided a picture of the garden. For information about bereavement groups, contact
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H.R.R.V. Gaffey Health Service and Hospice, Inc. is a smaller hospice than Serenity and Hospice of the Rock River Valley. Becky Highbarger, social worker at Gaffey Health Service and Hospice, Inc., can do one-onone counseling. She shared that Gaffey Coffee Klatch, which is open to the public, is “geared towards people in community who have lost loved ones.” This group meets the second Monday of every month from 1-2:30 p.m. Becky said that she “tried to have a morning meeting, from 10-10:30, but there was not much response.” She wants to have a candle-lighting service in December, but no date is set yet. Although not a hospice like the other organizations, Home of Hope Cancer Wellness Center in Dixon offers cancer support groups to the public. The Grief Recovery Method Outreach® is a seven week program that is designed to assist people in completing the pain caused by loss. A Men’s Cancer Group meets the first Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. The Breast Cancer Support Network meets every Thursday at
Memorial Bridge at Hospice of the Rock River Valley.
6 p.m. Emotional and social support is provided for people with an active breast cancer diagnosis and for breast cancer survivors. Kids Coping with Cancer is a support group for children who have a loved one with cancer or who have lost a loved one to cancer. Wellness Services, which include massages, and Guided Imagery are also available. Connie Thimmesch, program manager, said Home of Hope works with the neighboring cancer center.
Serenity Hospice Butterfly Release Memorial Fundraiser.
Karen Voss photo
Serenity Hospice photo
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