Reflections on a Vigil Erica Breen, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Recently, Brattleboro Area Hospice volunteers completed a vigil with a client who lived alone.  A vigil is when we offer a continuous, comforting presence over the final hours and days of a person’s life, while they are actively...

By Erica Breen, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Recently, Brattleboro Area Hospice volunteers completed a vigil with a client who lived alone.  A vigil is when we offer a comforting presence over the final hours and days of a person’s life, while they are actively dying.                 In the...

By Jennie Reichman Well, I’ve finally joined the club. After 4 years of avoiding being infected with Covid-19, I came down with it in mid-February. It all started with gastro-intestinal distress, symptoms I’ve never associated with Covid, and after 24 hours of that I decided to...

By Jennie Reichman Remember The Spice Girls? The mid 1990s pop singing group from England? There was Scary Spice, Baby Spice, Ginger Spice, Posh Spice, and of course, Sporty Spice.  Although she doesn’t sing or dress in skimpy outfits, our intrepid manager Karen has acquired the...

Ruth Nangeroni, Hospice Care Coordinator My most memorable hospice client was a man, S, who was basically all alone in the world.  He’d estranged himself from his family and had no real friends to speak of. Childhood abuse suffered in mental health hospitals had left S with...

Responsibilities A 16-hour per week position providing bereavement volunteer and client support.  Reports to the Bereavement Program Coordinator.  Functions Coordinates bereavement support groups, including launching, promoting, and supervising volunteer facilitators and directly facilitating groups. Assists with monthly volunteer support gatherings. Assists with coordination of public events (i.e., Memorial Garden Service,...

New Year's Eve was never a big to-do growing up but it was still memorable. I don't recall my parents ever going to a NYE party; we were always home together. Probably because we would have a big holiday roast the next day, Mom didn't...

by Jennie Reichman If only I had decided to have granola instead of cheesy toast for breakfast that morning in early December. While attempting to slice a wedge of Trader Joe’s Italian cheese with black pepper crust, my (very sharp) chef’s knife slipped and lopped off...

by Jennie Reichman I recently took myself on a mini adventure, driving the three and a half hours up to North Hero, Vermont to attend a memorial for a friend who died too young and under unfortunate circumstances.  Despite the sad reason for the trip, I...

Five years ago, I drove out to Ohio on Thanksgiving day, hit a deer just shy of the PA/OH line, and then spent the next few days visiting with my parents in between replacing my car's windshield, finding out whether it was safe to drive...