Agrace Offers Three August Grief Support Groups, Seeks Hospice Volunteers in Dane County

In August, three grief support programs will be offered at the Agrace Grief Support Center, 2906 Marketplace Drive, Fitchburg. The groups are open to the public and free to people whose family member was in hospice care in the past 12 months; fees can be lowered or waived for others, if needed. Call (608) 327-7118 with questions or to register.

Bridges Grief Support Group for grieving adults meets August 7 and 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and August 14 and 28, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. No advance registration is needed, and participants may attend as often as they feel the need for support.

Summer Spouse/Partner Loss Support Group provides support from a trained counselor and other participants who understand the emotional nature of this loss. August meetings are Tuesday, August 13 and 27, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. No advance registration is needed, and participants may attend as often as they feel the need for support.

LGBTQ Spouse/Partner Loss Group is a six-week support group series for anyone who is part of the LGBTQ community and is grieving the death of their life partner. It meets Wednesdays, August 21 through September 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Interested participants are asked to pre-register by August 5.

In addition, volunteers are needed across Dane County to make companionship visits to local Agrace HospiceCare patients in patients’ homes, or in nursing homes or assisted living centers. Agrace also needs volunteers to provide hairstyling, hand massages, music performances and therapy dog visits. A volunteer training for these roles will be held August 19, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Agrace in Madison.

Volunteers can also help in Agrace’s thrift stores, office, kitchen and gardens. A training for these roles will be held August 22, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pre-registration is required for both trainings. Call (608) 327-7163 to complete an application and interview.