MANITOULIN—The Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) is in the process of setting up a new peer support group to serve those who have been bereaved and are seeking volunteers who can donate some of their time to assist with the effort.
Lori MacEwan is the program coordinator of the Bereavement Peer Support Group in Little Current for Mixed Losses (18+).
“Support groups are a safe place for people to talk about their loss and find comfort with those who are also grieving the loss of a loved one,” said Ms. MacEwan. “VON grief and bereavement coordinators will be facilitating a group in Little Current starting October 9 and running until November 27. The group will run every Wednesday from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.”
She explained that the gathering will be a ‘closed’ group with limited seating so VON requests that those applying to be part of the group be able to commit for the full eight weeks.
“We will supply the required book and journal ‘Understanding Your Grief’ by Dr. Alan Wolfelt,” she added.
VON is also seeking a compassionate person who is interested in facilitating grief support groups or can offer one-on-one emotional support to a fellow community member struggling with the loss of a loved one.
“A lot of people don’t talk about grief,” said Ms. MacEwan, “but it is something that happens to everybody. The group will provide people with an opportunity to discuss grief in a confidential and safe setting.”
Those seeking more information or who are interested in volunteering or wish to register for the bereavement group can contact Lori MacEwen at (705) 825-1346 or by email lori.macewen@von.ca.
by Michael Erskine
