Hospice Volunteers – Spring Session of Hope's Place (March 4)

The Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area will offer its next six-week session of Hope's Place for grieving children and teens beginning March 4. This program serves youth ages 3 – 18 and their parents or caregivers.

The mission of Hope's Place is to provide a safe, supportive environment for grieving children, teens and families through peer support groups, which nurture and encourage safe expression of grief and loss. Hope's Place honors each person's individuality and their process towards discovery of resiliency and emotional well-being.

Participants will join age-appropriate peer support groups that meet concurrently each week, and will include young people and their parents or caregivers. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult who will participate in the adult support group. Teens may attend without being accompanied by an adult, if deemed appropriate by our staff. Groups are co-facilitated by trained volunteers. A licensed social worker serves as a consultant.

Hope's Place is held at the Hospice Community Center, 304 Main Street, Waterville, Maine. Families who have experienced the death of a significant person are encouraged to contact Jillian Fortin, Youth Services Coordinator for more information at 873-3615, X 19 or jfortin@hvwa.org. A pre-group interview is required before Hope's Place begins, so please call early to arrange a time. There is no fee for this program.

Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area serves 27 communities in Central Maine. It provides non-medical support to individuals and their families during the last phases of life and to loved ones throughout the grieving process and educates the community on issues related to death and grieving. Bereavement services are available to anyone who has sustained loss either through illness or unexpectedly. HVWA is volunteer-based and community funded. For more information about the free end-of-life and grief support services offered by HVWA, phone 873-3615 or visit www.hvwa.org.