A holiday tradition continues this year when State of the Heart will hold the annual Holiday Remembrance Gathering. The event is for those who have lost a loved one and want to remember them in a special ceremony which will be held Sunday, November 3 at 2 p.m. at Ansonia First Church of God, 750 S. Main St. in Ansonia.
“The remembrance gathering is for anyone who has lost a loved one,” stated Marlene Black, bereavement specialist with State of the Heart. “A person need not have had any connection with hospice care. As a matter of fact, we have many attend who have lost loved ones in accidents, suicides and natural deaths.”
Black added that the ceremony is “special” in that it draws so many people together who have a common bond: they are together and they are remembering a loved one. “It is a meaningful ceremony,” she said, “because everyone there understands one another’s loss in life.”
During the gathering ceremony those attending will hear an inspirational message given by the Hospice Chaplain. Family members will also remember their loved one by lighting a candle in their honor. Hospice music therapists will provide musical accompaniment for this gathering.
“The Holiday Remembrance Gathering is a wonderful way to remember a loved one, particularly at the holiday time when a person typically reminisces about times gone by, Black said. “It is also a time to acknowledge how much they miss that person.”
State of the Heart Hospice, with offices in Greenville, Coldwater and Portland, cares for patients and families in eastern Indiana and western Ohio who are confronting a life limiting illness. A second Holiday Remembrance Gathering will be held in Jay County Sunday, December 1 at the Baptist Fellowship Church in Portland.
For more information about the Remembrance Gathering, please contact our Bereavement team at 1-800-417-7535. There is no need for reservations. Light refreshments will also be served. Visit the agency web site at www.stateoftheheartcare.org.
