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Gaston Hospice Events: May and June 2008 (For information on volunteer training, see "Want to Help?" page)
Scrapbook Memories This 4-week class helps participants begin to learn the art of scrapbooking, a wonderful way to preserve memories. Registration is required so materials can be ordered. To register, call the Gaston Hospice office at (704) 861-8405 and ask for Marianne. Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, and 22 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Gaston Hospice office
Please join us for a Service of Remembrance Sunday, June 8 3:00 p.m. Salvation Army Chapel 1506 Union Road Gastonia |
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New Hope Counseling Center for Grief and Loss Monthly Support Groups
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Recent Happenings...
Thanks to all who participated in the Community Foundation's sixth annual Run for the Money on April 19! Gaston Hospice collected nearly forty thousand dollars that will be matched to some degree by the Community Foundation. Totals should be calculated within a few short weeks! Gaston Hospice will use the funds that were contributed in our name for two purposes: meidcations and supplies for patients who are receiving benevolent care, and for seating and landscaping for medication areas along the nature trail at Robin Johnson House.
Camp Phoenix, a retreat for families with grieving children, was held on Saturday, April 12. For information on Camp Phoenix, link here.
Thanks for Your Support ! JS Pottery and City Cafe present: A Hospice Affair J.S. Pottery and The City Cafe in Mount Holly sponsored a fundraising event for Gaston Hospice on Friday and Saturday, January 18 and 19. Handcrafted pottery bowls made by local potters Jack Sexton and Grace Carr were sold all day both days to cafe patrons. The event was a success and Jack and Grace have already begun planning for next years' event.
Light a Candle
The annual Light a Candle event is often as meaningful to staff as to bereaved. Above, Pauline Zimmerman, RN and Lisa Bradshaw, CNA, help bereaved families with the lighting of the candles at the 2007 service.
For some, it is a chance to reconnect with families they have cared for throughout the year. For others, it is an opportunity to feel close to their own loved ones. But to all of the staff at Gaston Hospice who attended the 19th annual Light a Candle event on Sunday, December 2, it was a very special time. Light a Candle is an annual holiday service of remembrance that is for all families who have been served by Gaston Hospice, as well as to the public. The service is held at a different church in the county every year, but no matter which church provides the sanctuary, large or small, traditional or contemporary, the quiet reflective mood and the soft candlelight always inspire memories of loved ones who will never be truly gone. The service was designed to help grieving families remember their loved ones during the holiday season, a time when the loss of deceased family and friends is most keenly felt. But it has become apparent over the years that the service is just as important to the staff who attend. Often, it is an opportunity for them to mourn the patients they have bonded so closely to and to see the families who once welcomed them into their homes. “I like this service because it allows me to reconnect with some of “my” families,” says Helen Salsburg, a Gaston Hospice RN. “It is a healing opportunity for me as well as them.”
For others it is a chance to mourn their own lost loved ones. “It made me feel close and near to my own loved one,” says Lisa Cole, admissions secretary. “But it was nice to see how it touched others, too. Just seeing the expressions on the faces of family members that came was a special time for me.” “I am always touched by the meaning that patients’ families draw from recalling their loved ones and being encouraged to look eyond their momentary sadness to the eternal possibilities for facing their own futures in spite of their grief,” says Gaston Hospice Chaplain Dave Herbertson. “To see the hugs shared with staff members who cared, as well as the tears in their eyes, reminds me that we stood beside them in those final days of their beloved family members and enabled them better to face death with hope—and with others by their side. It reminds them that they are not alone.” Probably the most anticipated part of the service is when the names of the deceased are read aloud. “There’s something about hearing the name of your loved one spoken aloud for all the world to hear and remember,” according to RN Gina Matherly. For Sarah Barnett, Insurance Specialist, it’s a reminder that she works at a very special place. “It is great to work for an organization that cares and wants to give the community the message that we care. Your loss was also our loss and we remember your loved ones, too.”
Thanks, Make a Difference Day! Friday, October 26 was notable for two things. It rained! - and dozens of volunteer teams organized by United Way and Keep Gastonia Beautiful helped local school and agencies work on projects that needed some extra manpower. Gaston Hospice was assigned a team of CaroMont volunteers who worked all morning to begin clearing vines, briars and fallen trees from the nature trail at Robin Johnson House. When the weather cut our workday short, this enthusiastic group decided to return in two weeks to work on a Friday afternoon. Kudos to the hardworking volunteer team: Gary Williams, team leader and whiz with an electric chain saw; Jamie Christopher, Fran Shuler, Lisa Boggs, Veronica Slaton and Terry Jones. Fran and Lisa even brought along their spouses, Dan and Tommy. What a difference this day made for Gaston Hospice!
Carolina Cycle Association Raises Over $12,000.00 at Annual Poker Run! The twelfth annual Poker Run was held Saturday, August 25 at Carolina Harley-Davidson Buell at Franklin Square. The event raised over twelve thousand dollars for the Eleanor Beasely Fund for benevolent patient care. This brings the 12 year total for this annual event to almost $140,000.00!Our heartfelt thanks go to the Carolina Cycle Association and T-Bird's Performance for continuing this wonderful event! Over 400 participants followed a 100+ mile route through the countryside, stopping to pick poker cards from a sack at each of four different stops. Food was served by Kyle Fletcher's Barbecue, live entertainment was provided by a local band called Triad. The 2008 Poker Run has been scheduled for Saturday, September 13. Check this website for updates!
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