Thrift Shop Saturdays
2025-08-16 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-20 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-18 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | The Thrift Shop, 5468 Main Street, Manchester, 05255, United States
The Thrift Shop offers high-quality merchandise at low prices. The Thrift Shop is open weekly, Monday through Friday, from 11am until 3pm. It is also open for the third Saturday of every month now, from 10am until 2pm.

Living With Loss - Free, Weekly Bereavement Support (Bennington)
2025-08-19 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-08-26 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-07 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-14 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-21 16:00 - 17:00 | VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region – Bennington, Putnam Block, 335 Main St., Office C, Bennington, VT, 05201, United States
Join us for a free bereavement support group facilitated by Jamie Losikoff-Kent, LCSW Bereavement Coordinator, at VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region.

Bereavement Support groups offer participants a space to process their grief, share and receive helpful coping strategies and create a community with others walking a similar path.

Free and available to the community.

To pre-register, call: 802-779-5061

Death, Dying, Danishes (Manchester)
2025-08-19 17:00 - 18:30, 2025-09-16 17:00 - 18:30, 2025-10-21 17:00 - 18:30 | Manchester Community Library, 138 Cemetery Avenue, Manchester Center, VT, 05255, United States
The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) offers a discussion group designed to address a topic many have difficulty talking about: death and dying.
Led by Hospice volunteers, the objective of Death, Dying, & Danishes is to increase awareness of death and to encourage people to make the most of their lives. Sharing food creates a relaxed and nurturing environment where the group can join open, honest conversations to explore the questions about life, dying and grief. People of all ages are encouraged to bring their questions, experiences, and thoughts to the gathering. The goal is simply to provide a forum for community members to come together in a relaxed atmosphere over coffee, tea, and goodies to share thought-provoking and life-affirming conversation.
The event is free and open to the public, but purchases are encouraged for host sites.
Those looking for more information prior to attending can contact Mary Pleasant at 802.442.0540 or by emailing at mary.pleasant@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Living With Loss - Free, Weekly Bereavement Support (Manchester)
2025-08-20 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-27 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-01 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-08 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | VNA & Hospice – Manchester, VT, 5468 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT, 05255, United States

Drop-In Grief Groups - Rutland
2025-08-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-09-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-16 10:00 - 12:00 | VNA & Hospice – Rutland, VT, 7 Albert Cree Dr., Rutland, VT, 05701, United States
Join Jesse Bradley & Jess Greco for a group designed to help people stay connected with others who are navigating grief and to provide support for one another. Meets every 3rd Thursday each month at 10am.
Location:
VNA & Hospice of the SW Region
7 Albert Cree Drive, Rutland, VT
Meet at our front desk.
For questions or more information, contact:
Phone: 802-855-4225
Email: bereavement@vermontvisitingnurses.org
Registration isn’t required.

An End-of-Life Series
2025-08-25 15:00 - 16:30 | Haston Library, 5167 Main Street, Franklin, VT, 05457, United States
Finding Meaning, Care & Comfort
Workshops for reflecting, preparing and connecting around end-of-life topics. Facilitated by experienced grief workers, hospice educators and community members.
Talking about death can be uncomfortable – but it can also be transformative.
Join us for a 5-part workshop series designed to offer gentle guidance, personal reflection and community connection around death, dying, grief and care.
Whether you’re supporting someone near the end of life, planning ahead for yourself, or simply curious about how we navigate loss, this series is for you.
Pre-Register with Emma Gerrard – 802-713-8456 or emma.gerrard@vermontvisitingnurses.org
This first session will focus on Sitting Circle: Exploring Personal Loss.
Future sessions (date TBD):

Hospice 101 with Traci Osterhoudt
Grief Timeline: An Experimental Workshop with Mary Pleasant
Spirituality & End-Of-Life Panel
Advanced Directives Workshop

Advance Directive Workshop (Rutland)
2025-08-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Rutland Free Library, 10 Court Street, Rutland, 05701, United States
What is it?
To assist community members in completing their advanced directives. Sharing tips, answering questions and stimulating conversations.
Close your eyes and imagine you have lost the ability to make health care decisions for yourself. Due to whatever cause, your loved ones are now facing the difficult choice(s) about your health care. Think of who would be at your side. Do they know what you would want? Do they know what you wouldn’t want?
What is the best way to guarantee that your wishes are known and honored in a situation like this? Talk through these situations with your family, close friends and health care providers. Be clear with them about your goals and care preferences, and then make sure to document them.
While completing the process of advance care planning can be an uncomfortable topic to bring up, the benefits to you and your loved ones are significant. It will help to ensure that the care you desire is the care you receive, and prevents overtreatment or treatment by default. Having a plan will also decrease stress, depression and anxiety for you and your family.
Advance care planning includes completing an advance directive, sometimes known as a living will. It also includes appointing a healthcare power of attorney, which is someone designated to make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to. Completing this task is even more important in the state of Vermont, as it is not automatically your next of kin (spouse, parent, adult sibling, etc.) who can make decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself. Once you have completed your advance directive, do not lock it away in a desk or safe; share it with family members and providers who may need to access it. You can also submit copies to the Vermont Advance Directive Registry to be accessed by authorized health care facilities and providers when needed.
When is the best time to complete the advance care planning process? The time is now. If you have already started this process, fantastic! You are not off the hook though. Take this day to revisit your advance care planning documents and assess if they still accurately reflect your healthcare choices.
Revisiting your documents is an extremely important step because as time goes by, we change, and potentially our healthcare choices may as well. A good habit would be to review every year on National Healthcare Decisions Day. Another approach would be to consider the “5 D’s” as times when your advance directive may need to be changed or updated. The “5 D’s” are: Decade birthday, Diagnosis, Deterioration, Divorce or Death of someone close to you or that affects you. All of these events may affect how you think about future health care decisions for yourself.
So what is the takeaway?
Plan. Talk. Document. Share. Encourage others in your life to do the same.
Who facilitates it? Nicole DeNoyers
Contact Nicole DeNoyers to sign up: 802.369.9440 | nicole.denoyers@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Death, Dying, Danishes (Rutland)
2025-08-29 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-09-26 12:00 - 14:00 | Rutland Free Library, 10 Court Street, Rutland, 05701, United States

Death, Dying, Danishes (N. Bennington)
2025-09-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Pangaea, 3 Prospect Street, N. Bennington, 05257, United States
The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) offers a discussion group designed to address a topic many have difficulty talking about: death and dying.
Led by Hospice volunteers, the objective of Death, Dying, & Danishes is to increase awareness of death and to encourage people to make the most of their lives. Sharing food creates a relaxed and nurturing environment where the group can join open, honest conversations to explore the questions about life, dying and grief. People of all ages are encouraged to bring their questions, experiences, and thoughts to the gathering. The goal is simply to provide a forum for community members to come together in a relaxed atmosphere over coffee, tea, and goodies to share thought-provoking and life-affirming conversation.
The event is free and open to the public, but purchases are encouraged for host sites.
Those looking for more information prior to attending can contact Mary Pleasant: 802-442-0540 or mary.pleasant@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Death, Dying, Danishes (Franklin County)
2025-09-02 18:30 - 20:30 | Bent Northrop Memorial Library, 164 Park Street, Fairfield, Vermont

Death, Dying, Danishes (Bennington)
2025-09-19 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Bennington Community Market, 239 Main Street, Bennington, VT, 05201, United States
The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) offers a discussion group designed to address a topic many have difficulty talking about: death and dying.
Led by Hospice volunteers, the objective of Death, Dying, & Danishes is to increase awareness of death and to encourage people to make the most of their lives. Sharing food creates a relaxed and nurturing environment where the group can join open, honest conversations to explore the questions about life, dying and grief. People of all ages are encouraged to bring their questions, experiences, and thoughts to the gathering. The goal is simply to provide a forum for community members to come together in a relaxed atmosphere over coffee, tea, and goodies to share thought-provoking and life-affirming conversation.
The event is free and open to the public, but purchases are encouraged for host sites.
Those looking for more information prior to attending can contact Ed Keating: 802-445-5520 or ed.keating@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Advance Directive Workshop (Bennington)
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Bennington Free Library, 101 Silver Streret, Bennington, VT, 05201, United States
What is it?
To assist community members in completing their advanced directives. Sharing tips, answering questions and stimulating conversations.
Close your eyes and imagine you have lost the ability to make health care decisions for yourself. Due to whatever cause, your loved ones are now facing the difficult choice(s) about your health care. Think of who would be at your side. Do they know what you would want? Do they know what you wouldn’t want?

What is the best way to guarantee that your wishes are known and honored in a situation like this? Talk through these situations with your family, close friends and health care providers. Be clear with them about your goals and care preferences, and then make sure to document them.
While completing the process of advance care planning can be an uncomfortable topic to bring up, the benefits to you and your loved ones are significant. It will help to ensure that the care you desire is the care you receive, and prevents overtreatment or treatment by default. Having a plan will also decrease stress, depression and anxiety for you and your family.

Advance care planning includes completing an advance directive, sometimes known as a living will. It also includes appointing a healthcare power of attorney, which is someone designated to make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to. Completing this task is even more important in the state of Vermont, as it is not automatically your next of kin (spouse, parent, adult sibling, etc.) who can make decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself. Once you have completed your advance directive, do not lock it away in a desk or safe; share it with family members and providers who may need to access it. You can also submit copies to the Vermont Advance Directive Registry to be accessed by authorized health care facilities and providers when needed.

When is the best time to complete the advance care planning process? The time is now. National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16, 2025. This day is dedicated to engaging the public to start thinking about personal wishes for health care, begin discussing these wishes with loved ones and complete an advance directive. If you have already started this process, fantastic! You are not off the hook though. Take this day to revisit your advance care planning documents and assess if they still accurately reflect your healthcare choices.

Revisiting your documents is an extremely important step because as time goes by, we change, and potentially our healthcare choices may as well. A good habit would be to review every year on National Healthcare Decisions Day. Another approach would be to consider the “5 D’s” as times when your advance directive may need to be changed or updated. The “5 D’s” are: Decade birthday, Diagnosis, Deterioration, Divorce or Death of someone close to you or that affects you. All of these events may affect how you think about future health care decisions for yourself.

So what is the takeaway?
Plan. Talk. Document. Share. Encourage others in your life to do the same.
Who facilitates it?

Ed Keating, End of Life Doula, Hospice Volunteer, Bereavement Volunteer

Contact Ed Keating to sign up. 802-445-5520 | ed.keating@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Advance Directive Workshop (Rutland)
2025-10-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Rutland Free Library, 10 Court Street, Rutland, 05701, United States
What is it?
A workshop focusing on answering questions about the Vermont Ethics Network’s Advance Directive Short Form. If the form is completed during the workshop, participants may upload the form to the Vermont Advance Directive Registry for review and acceptance.

To review the form before the workshop go to www.vtethicsnetwork.org/forms.

Space is limited, advanced registration is required.

Who facilitates it? Nicole DeNoyers

Contact Nicole DeNoyers to sign up: (802) 438-8111 | nicole.denoyers@vermontvisitingnurses.org

Grief Groups - Rutland
2025-10-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Casella Conference Room, 7 Albert Cree Drive, Rutland, VT, 05701
Join Jesse Bradley & Jess Greco for a six-week, curriculum-based Grief Support Group, beginning on the first Monday of every other month. Sessions will be held in February, April, June, August, October and December, starting at 5pm.
Location:
VNA & Hospice of the SW Region
Casella Conference Room
7 Albert Cree Drive, Rutland, VT
For questions or more information, contact:
Phone: 802-855-4225
Email: bereavement@vermontvisitingnurses.org
RSVP is not required, but is appreciated.
