News

The VON Oxford Hospice & Bereavement program is pleased to present a full-day Grief & Bereavement Education Day to coincide with National Bereavement Day, and Children’s Grief Awareness Day, both observed in November. Our line-up of speakers and topics are:

• Andrea Warnick: Kids Grieve Too: Supporting Children Grieving a Death

• Dr. Carrie Arnold: Fostering Resilience in Bereaved Adolescents

• Melissa Lyons: Using Creativity as a Path to Healing (Morning) & Journaling Toward Insight and Healing (Afternoon)

• Dr. Eunice Gorman: Myths about Grief (and what we know in our hearts to be true)

Within the VON Oxford Hospice & Bereavement Program, we are quite passionate about sharing information and education about the realities of grief so that as a community we are better equipped to support those in our midst – informally within our friend and family circles, and formally within our work. No matter our role in life, or our role in the workplace, we will at some point be touched by those who have experienced the death of someone important to them. Knowing what to say and how to support those around us, while at the same time taking care of ourselves, is an invaluable skill as we move through our lives.

As a registrant, you will have the option of attending the full day of programming, or you may select a half day option – morning sessions are devoted to supporting children and youth, and the afternoon sessions are focused on supporting bereaved adults. All ticket options include a catered lunch and refreshments. All are welcome, this event is open to the public.

The combined expertise of our invited professional educators and authors makes this a must-attend day for those interested in supporting bereaved adults and children in both formal and informal capacities within the community. We look forward to seeing you on November 22nd! Online Registration is now open. Register now! 

General Full-Day – $50.00

This full-day ticket includes the morning session (supporting children and youth) and the afternoon session (supporting adults) as well as lunch and refreshments. Registration is from 8:00-8:30am; lunch is served from 12:40-1:20pm.

General Half-Day Morning (Supporting Children) – $35.00

This ticket includes the morning session only (Supporting Children & Youth) but still includes lunch and refreshments; Registration is from 8:00-8:30am; Lunch is served between 12:40pm and 1:20pm.

General Half-Day Afternoon (Supporting Adults) – $35.00

This ticket includes the afternoon session only (supporting adults) but still includes lunch and refreshments; Registration is from 12:15pm to 12:40pm; Lunch is served between 12:40pm and 1:20pm

VON (Oxford) Staff/Volunteers – Free

You can select the full-day option or a half-day option. Please identify yourself as a VON Oxford staff or volunteer when you register. We will be monitoring these tickets to ensure those registered are VON Oxford employees and volunteers.

VON (Other) Staff/Volunteers – $20.00

You can select the full-day option or a half-day option. Please identify yourself as a VON (other site) employee or volunteer when you register. We will be monitoring these tickets to ensure those registered are VON employees and volunteers.

For more information, please contact:

Cheryl Wituik, Program Coordinator, Hospice & Bereavement, VON Oxford at 519-539-1231 Ext. 286 or email: cheryl.wituik@von.ca

If you prefer to register in person or by phone (with cash, cheque or credit card), please drop by the VON Oxford main office at 550 Ingersoll Avenue, Woodstock, Ontario or call 519-539-1231 ext. 270 and ask for Lindsay.

You don’t want to miss our line-up of leading educators and authors:

• Andrea Warnick: Kids Grieve Too: Supporting Children Grieving a Death

The death of a significant person represents one of the most powerful disruptions in all aspects of a child’s emotional existence. Yet few adults receive formal guidance on how to support children, expecially young children, experiencing the dying or death of someone in their lives. This education session, which is designed for parents and anyone else who may be in the position to support a grieving child, will expose common myths and misconceptions about supporting grieving children. It will also highlight resources and practical strategies that can be used in a variety of settings to help kids integrate the death into their lives in a healthy way. This workshop will include stories and important messages from children and their families that illustrate “best practice” guidelines for supporting the well-being of grieving children.  

• Dr. Carrie Arnold: Fostering Resilience in Bereaved Adolescents

Adolescence is full of new experiences, challenges, and at times, adversity. When a teen experiences a significant loss during this developmental stage, it can create obstacles that are universal, yet also unique. This education session will aim to address some of the more contemporary issues that affect teens, particularly when they are grieving. Following a brief overview of central developmental concerns, we will discuss the influence of social media, LGBTQ teens, along with cultural diversity. The session will wrap up with a focus on how we, as caregivers and professionals, can guide bereaved adolescents to develop a sense of resilience and coping.

• Melissa Lyons: A.M. – Using Creativity as a Path to Healing

We respond to adversity in our own way, having a unique set of perceptions and beliefs that shape our experiences as we work through our daily lives. Helping youth connect to and unlock their creativity, as they face grief, loss and emotional pain, can provide an outlet for them to heal and reflect on their own terms and in their own time. This session will introduce you to key elements of a program called Create a Creator. Designed to help participants connect to their distinctive creativeness and give them a path to connect to their inspired voices and related gifts. Exercises and experiences cover subjects of gratitude, mindfulness, passion and self-worth using various modalities including writing, drawing, use of colours, and reflection.

• Melissa Lyons: P.M. – Journaling Toward Insight and Healing

It has been said that in quietness all things are answered. Quietness as it relates to inner tranquility can be elusive for some at the best of times and much more challenging when facing grief, loss and emotional pain. One approach that can help move us towards our own state of quietness is journaling. In this session, using the framework from a Simple Subtle Shifts™ Reflective Experience ~ I Will Always Love You, we will explore the various ways that journaling can quiet your mind, be a window to your soul and provide you with insight and healing.

•  Dr. Eunice Gorman: Myths about Grief (and what we know in our hearts to be true)

We are constantly bombarded in our day to day lives with new and compelling beliefs about grief. Some of these are helpful and we can benefit from the wisdom they offer. However, others are potentially hurtful and misleading. At a time in our lives when we are in need of support and solid information to assist us as we navigate grief, we can be done a serious disservice by the “theory of the day.” This talk will address common myths, what is true, or truer, (and we know in our hearts to be so) and offer some ways we can use this information to care for ourselves and others. 

Join us January 17, 2020 at the Oxford Auditorium, Woodstock from 7:00pm to 11:00pm for our 10th annual Handbags for Hospice!

This fabulous purse auction is an evening full of fun, friends, and fundraising for Sakura House residential hospice.  With over 300 handbags, 300 Thirty-One Bags, and many more prizes!

Through the generosity and support of our sponsors, guests, donors, & volunteers, Handbags for Hospice has now raised more than $950,000 over the last 9 years!

Tickets go on sale to the community on November 21st at 10am. We will share more information on our social media accounts, including our Handbags for Hospice 2020 Event Page. Would you like to join our email distribution list? Email us to join the list.