Stepping Stones in the Park event to help people dealing with grief

PeaceHealth Hospice and Hope Bereavement Services invite families grieving the loss of a loved one to participate in our healing Stepping Stones in the Park event at Klineline Park Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Families will have the opportunity to create artistic memorial stepping stones to honor the person who has died.

“People who have experienced a death sometimes feel isolated and alone,” said Colleen Storey, Supervisor Hospice Outreach at PeaceHealth Southwest. “This event demonstrates that they are not alone and there are people that care and want to help them through the grief process. We will have information and resources available at this event featuring the many support groups and individual counseling offered by PeaceHealth Hospice and Hope Bereavement.”

Stepping Stones creation kits will be provided at no charge through a generous donation from Friends of Hospice. Families are encouraged to bring items that remind them of the person they have lost – such as a piece of costume jewelry, buttons from a favorite shirt, a fishing lure, even pieces from a board game the family enjoyed playing. The items will be permanently memorialized in the stepping stone, and there is no cost to families.

Stepping Stones in the Park can be very therapeutic for children who have experienced a loss. “Children grieve differently than adults,” said Storey. “This special day provides a wonderful way for children to find healing as they share their stories and express their thoughts and feelings through art and creative expression.”

Stepping Stones in the Park is scheduled for 10am-2pm at Klineline Park, located at 1112 NE 117^th Street in Vancouver, WA. The event is free and open to the public, with no advance signup required. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to learn about the many other opportunities for help provided by PeaceHealth’s Hope Bereavement Services, including family support groups that specialize in helping children and teenagers coping with a loss.

For more information about Stepping Stones in the Park, or about the many grief support programs available, call Hope Bereavement Services at 360-696-5120 or visit online at www.peacehealth.org/southwest/bereavement-services

About Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones family support groups specialize in helping children with their grief. Healing is found as group participants express their thoughts and feelings and share their stories through art, writing and other guided activities. Bereavement counselors and volunteers provide a safe, caring environment where children learn about death; the importance of expressing emotions; and special ways to remember loved ones. For more information visit www.peacehealth.org/southwest/for-grieving-children

About Hope Bereavement Services
Hope Bereavement Services, a program of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, provides emotional support and information for healing as you grieve. We offer bereavement support groups and counseling to members of our community, including individuals, families and children.

About PeaceHealth Southwest
The region’s health care leader and steward for 155 years, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is a community-owned, not-for-profit, 450-bed, medical institution located in Vancouver, Washington. Repeatedly recognized nationally as a 100 Top Hospital, PeaceHealth Southwest provides a full range of outpatient and inpatient diagnostic, medical, and surgical services to Clark County residents. PeaceHealth Southwest is also one of Clark County’s largest employers with 3,400 employees and 600 active medical staff members that help support dozens of medical specialty services and programs, including cancer, heart, emergency, trauma, neuro-musculoskeletal, family birth, and primary care. For more information visit http://www.peacehealth.org/southwest.