Love Leaves. A Memory No One Can Steal

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1 Love Leaves Winter 2016 A Memory No One Can Steal Hope for the Holidays An Evening to Help You Through the Holidays The holiday season can be difficult for those who have experienced the death of a loved one, and our memories often serve to remind us of our loss. Watching others celebrate can add to our feelings of being overwhelmed, and can make our loss feel even more painful. There are ways to foster serenity and peace during the holiday season without your loved one. Regina Palliative Care Inc. Greystone Bereavement Centre, along with Palliative Care Services and Regina Wascana Grace Hospice invite you to join us for an evening of reflection, music and support. Thursday, December 1, :30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. St. Mark s Lutheran Church 3510 Queen St. Regina, SK Refreshments will be served. We provide services and support to people of all cultures and beliefs, and do not operate as a faith-based organization. Space is limited so please RSVP to connie@rpci.org Regina Palliative Care Inc., Regina, SK S4N 6C

2 Festival of Trees Presented by Canadian Progress Club Regina Wascana The room at Conexus Arts Centre sparkled with holiday magic as the 2016 Mosaic Festival of Trees took place Saturday, November 12 th & Sunday November 13 th. Regina Palliative Care - Greystone Bereavement Centre is honoured to have teamed up with the amazing group of women from the Canadian Progress Club, Regina Wascana to help deliver this favorite start to the holiday season. The Progress committee, volunteers and designers worked tirelessly to create Christmas in Paris, and guests who attended the gala were treated to a stunning Christmas scene as essential funds were raised in support of palliative and bereavement services for Saskatchewan. Stephanie Kohlruss, Executive Director, and Trish Taylor, Director of Philanthropy, were thrilled to have had the opportunity to design a tree on behalf of the team at RPCI- GBC. As fate would have it, tree sponsor Fries Tallman Lumber, selected to have the RPCI-GBC tree donated to the Palliative Care Unit at the Pasqua Hospital which will be on display in the sunroom for palliative patients and their families over the holiday season. Festival Family Day took place on Sunday, November 13 th and saw hundreds of families come through the doors to take part in festive activities. Face painting, cookie decorating, crafts, scavenger hunts, Saskatchewan Roughrider cheerleaders, a magic show, and even Santa awaited children and their parents amidst dozens of sparkling trees. The team at Regina Palliative Care Greystone Bereavement Centre would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the ladies of the Canadian Progress Club, Regina Wascana, all of the Festival of Trees event sponsors, volunteers and attendees for a commitment to ensuring all families in Saskatchewan have access to quality palliative and bereavement programs and services.

3 Grief in the Workplace When it s no longer business as usual A 2003 study by the United States Grief Index suggests that grief and bereavement following the death of a loved one cost businesses $37.5 billion a year. The costs were a result of extended leave, decreased productivity, a reduced ability to make good decisions, an inability to analyze situations and be decisive in choices, and an inability to supervise others, and work safely. Employees feel isolated or different from others after the loss of a loved one. What they want and need from their colleagues is for their loss to be acknowledged and treated as normally as possible while receiving some flexibility and understanding from managers. To support grieving employees, organizations must turn themselves into compassionate work places. RPCI/GBC offers Grief in the Workplace: Living with Loss at Home and Work, an educational workshop that explores grief and its impact on people. The workshop examines the role of workplace managers, supervisors and colleagues and how best to support a grieving employee. It also discusses the organization as a whole, and what can be done to implement policies and procedures to become a more compassionate workplace. Employees who are well supported by their employer and work through their grief well will invariably grow personally and strengthen their loyalty to the organization, and be positioned to support peers through similar experiences. For more information on this workshop please contact: Dwayne Yasinowski RPCI/GBC Provincial Education Coordinator dwayne@rpci.org RPCI-GBC believes in building partnerships that advance our cause through strategic alignments with community partners. And that s because we understand the power our partnerships have when we work together with a common vision. We gratefully acknowledge our following partners who allow us the opportunity to provide more impact in our communities. Thanks to the support of The Co-operators, RPCI-GBC is able to provide Support Groups absolutely free of charge. Thank you for your commitment to supporting strong mental health and wellness to Saskatchewan families! The Ramada Plaza Regina and Ramada Saskatoon are pleased to support the initiatives of RPCI-GBC. Through the efforts of countless volunteers and involved sponsors, we recognize their goal in providing assistance to those in difficult situations. It s in this community effort that a true difference is made. We appreciate the opportunity to be involved with this amazing organization.

4 When Words Are Not Enough Art therapy is a creative method of selfexpression and places it focus on the creative process, various art materials, and the art product within a safe and therapeutic environment. Art therapy engages the senses beyond the use of words. You can make a valuable difference in the lives of grieving children and teens by becoming a volunteer at Caring Hearts Camp. This retreat at Dallas Valley Ranch is for children and teens ages 6 17 who are grieving a loss due to the death of someone important in their lives. Camp provides an opportunity for children to share their stories of loss and explore their grief openly in a safe and loving environment. You can be part of restoring a child s hope and resiliency today! For more info about Caring Hearts Camp or to learn how you can become a volunteer please contact Cindy at This form of therapy provides hands-on healing and allows people to explore their own issues and concerns and encourages examination of difficult or complex material from new perspectives. Best of all? This unique activity helps people externalize their thoughts and feelings and allows people of all ages to cope with illness, grief, trauma, and the challenges each of us face in daily life. Creating art and reflecting on the products and processes can enhance self-awareness, insight, resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, or reduce stress. It can also enhance selfesteem, coping skills, cognitive function and personal development. Art therapy is not an art class and no specific art skills are required. If you re interested in taking part in this form of therapy, RPCI- May 5 May 7, 2017 Greystone Bereavement Centre offers spring and fall sessions of Art Therapy as another tool in working through grief.

5 Be good to yourself. Cindy s Comfort Corner - Christmas Is Coming I walked through the mall the other day to pick up a gift for a friend, and I was struck by how early Christmas decorations and other festive treats were being displayed. It made me recall how bereaved families are often overwhelmed with the demands of the holiday season. I know I was; I was just 22 when my mom died from a brain aneurysm, and I remember thinking how it was too much to handle and how I wanted Christmas to be over with. While the thought of going to bed on December 1 st and getting up in the middle of January was inviting, it wasn t realistic. And that s why I want to share with you a list of some practical suggestions for managing your holiday season. These tips helped me, and I hope they help you too. Talk about how things will be different this year. Talk with family to make plans you can all support. Ask for children s input, too. If everyone s voice is heard, any feelings of hurt, disappointment, or anger may be avoided. Consider changing how things were done in the past; you can always return to former traditions at another time when you have more energy. This might mean changing temporarily changing seating arrangements so absences are less or noticeable or having someone else take on hosting duties for this season. Start new traditions. Instead of filling your loved one s stocking with gifts, try fresh greenery or donate the stocking s contents to a charity in your loved one s honour. Light a memorial candle and have it lit throughout the day or place a Christmas wreath where your loved one is laid to rest. Ask for help if you need it, and make time for reminiscing. Extended family and friends are often more than willing to help, but you need to ask. Allow your tears to fall tears are words our hearts can t speak, so let them come and never apologize for them even if they fall on the mashed potatoes and gravy. Take care of your own health. It s likely you won t be able to do all you have done in the past, and that s okay. It s okay to change your mind when you don t have the emotional or physical energy to participate. With warmth & hope, Cindy

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7 Revisiting Loss and Restoration Mon. Nov 21, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. And Wed. Nov. 23, noon 1:30 p.m. Greystone Bereavement Centre Hope for the Holidays Dec. 1, :30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. St. Mark s Lutheran Church Fundraiser March 10, 2017 Lonsdale Boxing Club Yoga for Grief Mondays beginning Jan. 9, :00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. For Bereaved Children and Teens May 5 th May 7 th, 2017 Traumatic Loss Support Group Thursdays beginning Jan. 12, :30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Greystone Bereavement Centre

8 We Love Our Volunteers! I volunteer because, in part, I feel it is important to create different communities that meet specific needs; communities in which people can share their experiences and life stories; communities that people can participate in and belong to on whatever level they choose. Spiritually, I believe we all need to be part of and contribute to something larger than ourselves. In this way, communities, in whatever fashion and shape they take, offer gifts to both participants and volunteers. With specific respect to RPCI-GBC, I support it because my father was in palliative care for a brief time before he died and that was helpful for both Dad and us children. I also support RPCI-GBC because the library and counselling provided are such wonderful resources. For sorrowing and troubled persons, to be listened to, and to have access to books and audio resources on grief, helps diminish the pain, and renews strength and hope. - Rae Executive Director s Message Saskatchewan residents have experienced an exceptional fall and start to the winter season, and the momentum at RPCI-GBC has been just as exciting. Our fall/winter support groups launched with incredible success in September, and continue to show a demonstrated need for more specialized services in 2017 and beyond. Our education programs create huge impact across the province as well, and we have our sights set on expanding these offerings so even more people are armed with the skills and tools they need to heal, grow, and succeed in both their personal and professional lives. Our support for palliative services in Saskatchewan continues to flourish, too. We re so proud of the goals we have achieved and accomplishments made by our team, and we know we couldn t be a success without the generosity and support of donors, volunteers, community groups, and corporations in our community. Because amazing people care, our families and loved ones are supported during some of the hardest times in their lives. As we approach the holiday season, RPCI-GBC and its team wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season, one filled with love, warmth, and fond memories of those we love and those we remember in our hearts. Stephanie Kohlruss, CFRE Regina Palliative Care Inc., Regina, SK S4N 6C