Funeral home hosts grief seminar

The holidays can be a very stressful and emotional time of year, especially for people who are dealing with the death of a friend or loved one.

For this reason, one local funeral home is sponsoring a free bereavement workshop designed to help people who are going through a grieving process to plan for the upcoming holiday season without feeling nervous or scared.

Cheney Witt Funeral Home is sponsoring a program titled "Coping with the Holidays," scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Carriage House, 301 S. Main St. The program will be presented by two staff members of the Wichita-based Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, a non-profit hospice that has served Fort Scott and the surrounding area since 1995.

Wayne Mason, a chaplain at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and one of the program's presenters, said the goal of the program is to help people dealing with this type of loss to find some direction and purpose.

"We want to help them get through the holidays, because many people are dreading the holidays instead of looking forward to them," Mason said. "They're trying to identify themselves after the loss of a loved one and wondering 'Do I still fit?'"

Mason, who said he works for the hospice out of its Pittsburg and Parsons offices, added that the holiday season can often be stressful for people who are not coping with pain or grief, and the death of a loved one around this time of year simply adds to a person's overall stress level.

"I think the sadness is increased," he said. "People who are coping with death are wondering 'What can I do with these (holiday) traditions?' Well, we want to help them try to alleviate that fear for a year or two, so they can be healthy again."

Mason and Johnnie Kay Brown, a social worker at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, will facilitate the workshop for anyone who has experienced a loss, and not just those people served by the hospice. Brown will be available after the program as well to answer questions and visit with guests.

The program will be made easy for attendees to follow and understand, Mason said.

"I try to be as practical as I can," he said.

The workshop will also feature a question-and-answer session, and refreshments will be served, according to a statement from the hospice.

The mission of the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice is to enable people to live with dignity and hope while coping with loss and terminal illness. For more information about the workshop, call the Cheney Witt Memorial Chapel at (620) 223-1186.