Fox Valley hospice offers grief support programs
Submitted by Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice
To start out the new year with hope, Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice is offering programs in January to help those who are grieving. All programs are free, but registration is required one week in advance at (630) 232-2233. Spanish interpretation is available.
Cherished Children is a support group for parents who have lost a child at any age, for any reason. The group is a safe place where parents can find support to help cope with the sorrow and emptiness in their hearts. The group meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 9 to Feb. 27, at the hospice office, 200 Whitfield Drive, Geneva.
Herbie’s Friends, a program to help grieving families coping with loss, grief and death, is for families with children ages 5 to 18. The program creates a safe environment to express thoughts, feelings and stories with others who have also experienced a death loss.
Participants will eat a meal together, followed by activities led by trained facilitators. Herbie’s Friends meets from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 23 to March 5, at Fox Valley Presbyterian Church, 227 East Side Drive in Geneva.
Next Step is a resource for those who have lost a life partner. Each month, the program offers practical topics that will help participants move forward in their grief journey, develop coping skills, and adapt to the life changes they are experiencing. This drop-in group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the hospice office, 200 Whitfield Drive in Geneva. The topic for the Jan. 12 session is “Moving Forward: Resolutions.” A complete list of 2012 topics can be found at www.fvvh.org.
In addition to these programs, Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice offers many other bereavement support groups, which are listed at www.fvvh.org.
Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice is a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those with life-threatening illnesses and those who have lost loved ones, serving all of Kane and Kendall counties, and parts of DuPage, Cook and McHenry counties.
In addition to one-on-one support, the agency also offers medical equipment loans, adult and children’s grief support groups, community education on end-of-life care and grief, and a community lending library. All services are provided free.