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In the News
2010
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5th
Evergreen Facilitator Training Completed

Evergreen, the Pine
Tree Hospice Center for Grieving Children and Adults recently
completed the 5th Facilitator Training and welcomed
seven new Volunteers to the program; Elise Templet, Amy
Richardson, Jane Stitham, Barb Austin, Alex McDade, Karen Dolley
and Jess Kerr. Pictured above in front are Elise, Amy, Jane,
Barb and Pat Kelleher; in back are Terri Warren, Deb Drew,
Karen, Erin Callaway, Kim Havea, Scott Warren, Alex,
Pam
Tower, Jess and Cynthia
Scott. (Mary Tondreau not pictured.)
Evergreen programs offer a safe space where children, teens,
adults and families grieving a death can share their
experiences. Bereavement Support Groups currently offered
by Pine Tree Hospice are Wednesday evening Nights of Service for
children and their families (groups for various ages of children
and an adult group for their parents/guardians); application
required for this program. The children’s
groups offer a mix of opportunities for children and teens to
share their experiences with grief and loss. Whether it’s
talking about the death with other participants, using art, play
or an activity, children and teens are encouraged to discover
what works best for them in the healing process.
Adult
groups are open to the public on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the
month at 6:30 p.m. All groups are free of
charge and are run by trained facilitators. In both adult and
children’s groups all participants are able to use the “I Pass”
guideline, which means they get to decide when and how much,
they wish to share with the group. FMI on either
program, contact the PTH office at 564-4346 or e-mail
WeCare@PineTreeHospice.org.
May
July 2010
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Evergreen "Summer Fun Day"
Planned
Arts and crafts, family activities,
“feelings" games and lots more will be part of THE PINE TREE
HOSPICE EVERGREEN "SUMMER FUN DAY" on Saturday, July 17th from
9am to 4pm at the East Sangerville Grange. The event is being
offered by Evergreen, the Pine Tree Hospice Center for Grieving
Children and Adults, and is a day of activities designed to help
kids and their adult caregivers, share and express feelings
about death and loss.
The Summer Fun Day is for children ages 5-18 and their adult
family members or caregivers. Trained Bereavement Support
Volunteers will facilitate age-appropriate Children's Peer
Support Groups and an Adult Peer Support Group. Activities will
be appropriate for those grieving the death of a
person, a pet, or anticipating the death
of someone with a serious illness.
Lunch, snacks and beverages will be provided. There is no fee to
attend, but pre-registration is required. For more information
or to pre-register, call the Pine Tree Hospice office at
564-4346 or send an e-mail to
wecare@pinetreehospice.org by or before Wednesday, July 7th.
This event is sponsored in part by community donations and from
our friends at Bangor Savings Bank branches in Dover-Foxcroft,
Greenville and Dexter.
June 2009
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Special Day of Caring by Pine
Tree Hospice
What do
massage therapists and Whoopie pies have in common? They both
will be available at the Whoopie Pie Festival on June 26 in
Dover-Foxcroft. To share in the fun, Pine Tree Hospice will
have licensed massage therapists and manicurists providing
massages and manicures to those who would like to have a caring
experience. The cost of these services will be by donation, and
all proceeds will benefit Pine Tree Hospice, who provides care
to clients and families experiencing the challenges of life
limiting illnesses and bereavement.
Please join us at the Whoopie Pie Festival
and support the wide array of businesses that enrich our
community and at the same time have fun and be supported
yourself! For more info contact Pine Tree Hospice at
207.564.4346 or e-mail
wecare@pinetreehospice.org.
May
June 2010
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Palmyra Golf Course Hosts
Benefit Tournament for Volunteer Hospices
Palmyra Golf
Course is hosting a golf tournament on Friday, June 25th
to benefit Pine Tree Hospice and Hospice Volunteers of Somerset
County. As volunteer hospices each of these programs provides
services to those with life-limiting illnesses and their
families without cost in order to enhance the lives and
deaths of clients and families.
The
tournament will start at 9am with a shotgun start and scramble
format. Golfers will be provided 4 mulligans per team, free
soda and snack during the round, and a barbecue following.
Family members are invited to join the golfers for the barbecue
for $3 per person.
Please bring
a team and join us on the 25th. Hight Auto Group is
providing three “hole in one” opportunities. Depending on the
hole, golfers could win a Ford Fusion or a vacation package to
different destinations. Among other prize opportunities
provided by business sponsors are a putting contest ($100 cash
prize), men and women’s longest drive, men and women’s closest
to the tee, and a 50/50 raffle.
Join us for a great day of
fun in support of the wonderful service these volunteer hospices
provide to our communities. For more info or to register
contact Pine Tree Hospice at 207.564.4346 or e-mail
wecare@pinetreehospice.org.
June 2010
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New Children’s Resource
Available At Pine Tree Hospice
Evergreen,
The Pine Tree Hospice Center for Grieving Children & Adults has
been provided free DVD packets entitled “When Families Grieve”
for our community. These packets, developed by Sesame Street
Workshops, are a wonderful resource for families whose children
are, or have been, experiencing a loss. The packets include: a
children’s book, a parent’s guide, and a DVD with a Sesame
Street episode on loss aimed at young children as well as the
recent PBS primetime show called “When Families Grieve” hosted
by Katie Couric.
The Center
for Grieving Children in Portland, Maine has generously provided
Evergreen with these DVD kits. The Portland Center is one of
only seven partners in a national study assessing the impact of
grief on families. Those who use the kits are invited to
participate in the survey but are under no obligation to do
so.
Pine Tree
Hospice has these free kits available at its office at 883 West
Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft. Additionally, Pine Tree Hospice
will be distributing the kits to any agencies, schools and
libraries interested in providing this excellent resource for
supporting grieving children and their parents. To request
your free DVD and kit or to learn more about Evergreen programs
and services please call 207.564.4346 or e-mail
wecare@pinetreehospice.org.
June 2010
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Golf Tournament to Benefit
Pine Tree Hospice a Huge Success
Perfect golfing
weather on Sunday, May 23rd was the added prize for
60 golfers that met to play in a golf scramble at Dexter
Municipal Golf Course to benefit Pine Tree Hospice. Having a
successful day were gross winners Sean Farnsworth, Rick
Sherburne, Shane Hutchings, and Ray Mountain. Net winners were
Ross Morancie, Gary Sawyer, Don Berry, and Joe Keaveney.
Closest to the pin winners were: #4 Duffy Dyer, #8 Danny
Cummings, #13 Rick Sherburne, and #17 Shane Baxter. Longest
Drive winners were Sherree Mitchell and Ed Walker. All winners
were awarded prizes in their categories, and all golfers were
served lunch.
Tournament sponsors
were: Perkco, Gerrard Rudmin, OD, Spring Street Greenhouse and
Floral, JK Electric, Tillson True Value, Dexter Discount Tire,
Prudential Northeast Properties, Varney Agency Insurance, Baker,
Newman Noyes, LLC, and lunch was sponsored in part by Bud’s Shop
‘n Save. PTH would like to thank all the sponsors, golfers,
and Jim Costedio of Dexter Municipal Golf Course for their
support of its programs.
As a volunteer hospice, Pine
Tree Hospice cannot and does not charge for the services that
are provided to members of the community. All funds needed to
operate the organization are raised through grant making,
contributions, and fund raisers such as this. Last year, Pine
Tree Hospice donated more than 2867 hours of services to clients
and families experiencing end of life challenges.
May
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Volunteer
Receives 2010 Governor's Service Award

L-R: Jane Stitham, Erin
Callaway and Cynthia Scott
Dover-Foxcroft
-- Pine Tree Hospice Volunteer, Erin Callaway, was one of eight
recipients of the Exemplary Service Awards presented Thursday,
April 22, 2010 at the State House Hall of Flags in
Augusta.
The Governor’s Volunteer Service
Awards are presented annually during National Volunteer Week,
the annual celebration of citizen volunteer action and the
impact it has on critical needs in
Maine
communities. The
Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards were created in 1988 and
recognize individuals and community organizations whose donation
of time and leadership have made a significant difference in the
quality of life for Maine residents.
The main purpose of the awards
presentation is to share the stories of extraordinary volunteers
so they may inspire others to serve. Erin
was joined by Jane Stitham (PTH Executive Director) and Cynthia
Scott (PTH Volunteer).
Erin
began volunteering at Pine Tree Hospice in 2002. Her ongoing
commitment to Pine Tree Hospice resulted in the creation of a
new program in 2008; Evergreen, the
Pine
Tree Hospice
Center for Grieving Children
and Adults. Erin
was recently awarded Certification in Thanatology (death, dying
and bereavement) by the Association for Death Education and
Counseling. Erin
is a featured presenter at the PTH Community Hospice Education
Series and co-facilitates the Evergreen Bereavement Facilitator
Training. She is also available to meet with community groups to
discuss topics related to death, dying and grief.
She has volunteered at several summer children’s grief camps and
is organizing another Kid’s Grief Camp for this coming July. Erin’s
compassion is evident when she meets with hospice families where
there are grieving children or children living with someone who
is terminally ill providing anticipatory grief support. Erin was
one of the volunteers that represented PTH at
Dexter
High School’s Every 15
Minutes (mock car crash/notification/funeral) program last
spring. She also helped to design a workshop for those who are
grieving the death of a pet and co-facilitated a very successful
Pet Loss Workshop last June.
Erin also volunteers with the Blood
and Marrow Transplant Information Network, Center Theatre in
Dover-Foxcroft, East Sangerville Grange, Hospice Volunteers of
Waterville Area’s Camp
Ray of Hope, Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s
First Connection (Peer-to-Peer) Program, and the
Unitarian
Universalist
Church
in Sangerville. It should be noted that Erin’s passion and
commitment is not at all based on desire for public recognition,
but is based solely on her desire to give back to her community,
her genuine love for people and to provide a safe place for
people to share personal experiences.
As a Volunteer Hospice that receives no
federal or state funding, Pine Tree Hospice depends entirely
upon grants and donations. To learn more about Pine Tree
Hospice and the Evergreen program visit
www.PineTreeHospice.org,
www.Facebook.com/PineTreeHospice,
www.Facebook.com/EvergreenPTH,
call 564-4346 or e-mail
wecare@pinetreehospice.org.
May
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Receives
Grant
Pine Tree Hospice (PTH)
is pleased to announce it recently received a $5150 grant from
the Piscataquis County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation (MCF).
Jane Stitham, Executive Director of PTH, states that “We are
thrilled to have received this award as it enables PTH to reach
out and help others by identifying caregivers in the greater
Penquis area and to increase availability, awareness, and
utilization of supports available to them”.
In 2009 Maine Community Foundation Charity Fund awarded Pine
Tree Hospice funds to conduct a Bereavement Needs Assessment.
The number one need identified through that assessment was for
caregiver support. Stitham states that through the continued
support of MCF, Pine Tree Hospice will be able to respond to
this need by developing a series of workshops dedicated to
supporting the needs of caregivers past and present.
Workshops will include discussion about available resources, as
well as education on the importance of self care. We will also
utilize the services of speakers to further educate caregivers
and incorporate self-care practitioners who will describe their
techniques and offer the opportunity to participate in them.
Additionally, time will be provided for the caregivers (past and
present) to talk with each other as many of them feel isolated
by the role they have assumed as caregiver. Suggestions from
participants will also shape the direction of future workshops,
as these opportunities are designed to meet the needs of
caregivers.
Having just completed a highly successful day long caregiver
event sponsored by Eastern Area Agency on Aging and the
Department of Elder Services/DHHS, Pine Tree Hospice is excited
to start plans for the workshops the Maine Community Foundation
is funding. They will be hosting the first event of the MCF
series this summer. If you would like to be informed of the next
workshop, like to participate, or have suggestions of speakers
or topics to be addressed, please contact Pine Tree Hospice at
564-4346, email wecare@pinetreehospice.org, or visit us at 883
West Main St., Dover-Foxcroft.
May
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Variety
Show a Huge Success
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The Center Theatre
was alive with vibrant and talented performers for the 16th
Annual Variety Show on April 30th. This year’s show, directed by
Patrick Myers and supported by the Center Theatre crew, boasted
outstanding performers – all to benefit Pine Tree Hospice – in
this their largest fund raising event of the year.
Throughout the show the audience was treated to a wide array of
area talent. From numbers by vibrant young students, a poignant
rendition of our national anthem performed in sign language, the
evening went on with singing, dancing, drumming, and many other
outstanding performances. The audience was kept royally
entertained by a mix of young and old, as well as new and
returning performers.
The 16th Annual PTH Variety Show closed with the Doughty Hill
Band, a fixture in our local scene for more than 30 years. Bass
guitar, mandolin, flutes, penny whistles, soprano sax, guitars
and beautiful voices filled the Center Theatre to the ceiling
and brought this positively wonderful evening to a close.
The evening wouldn’t be complete without the “annual quilt
raffle” featuring an absolutely beautiful handmade quilt by Rita
Mountain and Helen Higgins and backed by Vickie Brackett at
Quilting Mania. The lucky raffle winner was Sandra Robinson from
Sangerville.
The evening was emceed by Sue Mackey Andrews and Dr. David Frasz,
who provided comic relief with his “doctor” jokes for a laughing
audience.
Mark your calendar for next year’s performance – PTH Variety
Show on April 30, 2011 at Center Theatre. Thanks as always to
our supporters and performers for making this year’s Variety
Show a success in so many ways.
Because Pine Tree Hospice cannot and does not charge for the
services that are provided to the community, events such as
these enable PTH to continue providing services to clients and
families during and after the death of a loved one. For any
questions about Pine Tree Hospice or its services, please call
564-4346.
May
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Variety
Show Promises Family Fun
Pine Tree Hospice
will host its 16th annual Variety Show on April 30
from 7-9PM at Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft. “Our goal is to
sell out the Theatre as we did last year.” says Jane Stitham,
Executive Director. “The community has been very supportive of
this event for 16 years. People enjoy the great entertainment as
well as knowing that they are helping to support families in
their community who are living with a progressive life-limiting
illness.”
The show will
feature new acts performed by Doughty Hill, The Rhoads, Diane
Merrill, and The Little Big Band, as well as many other talented
acts including returning performers Beth Weatherbee and Vanessa
Cousins, the Children’s Learning Center, and the Heartwise
dancers. “What’s nice is that this is a family show,” reports
Amy
Madigan-Dube, Volunteer Coordinator. “You can come and know
that the content will be appropriate for people of all ages.
There will be singing, dancing, drumming, and even some sign
language.”
“This is our biggest
fund raiser of the year,” reports Stitham. “As a volunteer
hospice we cannot charge for our services. Our success is not
reflected in dollars and cents but is measured in the hours of
service of our volunteers. We hope that the community will
come out and help us support the work of these volunteers who
are a much needed resource to families who find themselves to be
in the most vulnerable period of their lives.”
Through the years
tickets have been sold for $10-$12 but as was done last year,
tickets may be purchased by donation. Tickets to the Variety
Show are available at Pine Tree Hospice (883
West Main St.), Center Theatre, or at
the door if available. For more information, please contact
Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346.
April
2010
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“Caring for the Caregiver”
Day a Success
Pine Tree Hospice
had its first day long event designed especially for caregivers
on April 8. 15 caregivers attended the day, which featured
Karen Flynn from the Hospice House of Androscoggin Home Care &
Hospice. Karen’s poignant presentation highlighted the need for
caregivers to care for themselves while caring for others.
Throughout the day,
time was provided for participants to talk with others who are,
or have shard, the experience of care giving. Participants were
treated to lunch, and then had the opportunity to meet several
self-care practitioners during the afternoon. They learned
about techniques such as Reiki, acupuncture, massage and energy
healing. Opportunities were made available to experience these
techniques as well as manicures, nutritional balance, natural
care products and available community resources.
This day was made
possible through a grant from the Eastern Area Agency on Aging
and the Department of Elder Services/DHHS. Pine Tree Hospice is
pleased to announce that through a recent grant from the Maine
Community Foundation, we will be able to conduct a series of
workshops for the benefit of caregivers past and present.
If you would like to be informed
of our next workshop, like to participate, or have suggestions
of speakers or topics to be addressed, please contact
Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346 or email
wecare@pinetreehopice.org.
April
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Hosts Day
for Caregivers
On April 8, Pine Tree Hospice
will be hosting a day for caregivers (past and present) to thank
them for their dedication to those they care for. It will take
place in the Mayo Regional Hospital Resource Center from 10am to
3pm. The day will include a speaker, catered lunch, and
self-care experts demonstrating their skills. All caregivers
will leave with a “goody bag” of self care items to take home.
Through a bereavement survey
conducted in the fall of 2009, Pine Tree Hospice learned that
caregiver support was the #1 request of those who responded. A
day for caregivers is hoped to be the beginning of additional
support to those caring for a loved one. The funding for this
day was provided by the Eastern Area Agency on Aging through
monies from the Office of Elder Services. Additional grant
funding is being sought to continue services such as this.
Transportation and in-home day
care will be provided upon request. Pre-registration is
necessary.
For further information, or to
pre-register, please call Pine Tree Hospice at 564-4346.
March
2010
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Pine Tree Hospice Needs
Assessment Results
Dover-Foxcroft - Pine Tree
Hospice (PTH) would like to recruit twelve more people who would
be interested in serving as a volunteer facilitator for
bereavement support groups. Groups are being formed as the
result of a recent community survey which indicated that the top
four adult grief support groups requested were General Grief
(52%), Survivors of Suicide (37%), Widow/Widowers (35%) and
Grieving Parent (33%). Sixty-seven percent of respondents
stated that Compassionate Listening was the number one thing
they would be seeking in a peer support group setting.
Additional volunteers are also needed to co-facilitate groups as
well.
Volunteers are our most
valuable resource – they are generous people from the community
who support families at a difficult and lonely time. The Spring
2010 training, 28 hours - held over four evenings and two
Saturdays, covers a wide range of topics including reflective
listening, grief, participating in a peer support group, being a
true helper, boundaries, confidentiality, stress management,
ways to physically express emotions, special issues of suicide
survivors, spirituality, rituals and goodbyes. There is no
charge to take the training and no charge to attend the peer
support groups.
PTH currently provides a
monthly General Grief Support meeting for adults at the PTH
office, 883 West Main Street, Dover-Foxcroft. This group meets
the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and is led by two
trained facilitators. No pre-registration is necessary for this
group, though we do appreciate speaking with you prior to your
coming. Evergreen, the PTH Center for Grieving Children and
Their Families meets weekly; call the PTH office to request an
“Evergreen packet” for more information on this program. If
you are interested in participating in the spring training
series, an application and pre-training interview are required.
For additional information, contact PTH at 564-4346 or e-mail
wecare@pinetreehospice.org
PTH received a grant from the
Maine Charity Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to perform
an Adult Bereavement Needs Assessment throughout the PTH service
area. Last fall, over two hundred people (80% women, 20% men)
from Piscataquis County and portions of Penobscot and Somerset
Counties completed the survey online or on paper. Fifty three
percent of survey respondents identified the need for caregiver
support; PTH will seek grant funding to assist in meeting those
needs.
January
2010
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Education
Hours-REMINDER!!
Amy, our diligent Coordinator of
Volunteers and Client Services, reminds all volunteers
that our State Regulations require that each direct
service volunteer complete 8 hours of continuing
education each year. The year is measured from the day
of your completion of the Volunteer Training program.
Is it easy to get Ed Hours?
YES!!!! Here’s How...
Read a
book – many books available in the PTH office, come
by and see!
Watch
a video- New video, Five Wishes, available at PTH
office about advance directives. A worksheet comes
with this so you can complete yours as practice.
Attend
seminars, workshops, retreats.
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