grief services Archives

TRU Thrift Shop Moment Brings TRU’s Mission Full Circle

October 10, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

With the large range of services offered by TRU, our programs often affect one another and are integral components in cultivating the community of TRU Community Care. All of our services are created to support families and individuals in our community who are coping with illness and loss. Even our TRU Thrift Shop began with the hopes of providing an outlet for people to give and receive one-of-a-kind items that someone once held dear.

It is not every day that TRU Thrift Shop stories come full-circle back to the mission of TRU Community Care, but recently, a customer saw a beautiful, affordable dining room table that she knew her friend would love. She quickly messaged her friend, Anne, and had her come to the shop to check it out. With no idea that TRU Thrift Shop existed, she came in to see the table, immediately fell in love, and bought it on the spot!

At that moment, Anne looked up, saw the TRU Thrift Shop logo, and realized that it was a part of TRU Community Care. She could not believe it! Anne’s father, Gary, received TRU Hospice Care for 6 months, and that day was the one year anniversary of her father’s passing. Her whole family had benefited from the services TRU Community Care provided. When her father passed, Anne participated in an 8-week grief support group through TRU Grief Services.

In Anne’s words, “it was such a meaningful moment when I found that table on the anniversary of my father’s passing. I felt so close to my dad and his memory on that day.” These are the heartfelt moments we are honored to take part in through life’s ups and downs. It was truly a one-of-a-kind moment that connected TRU Thrift Shop with TRU Hospice and TRU Grief Support services. And like all TRU Thrift Shop sales, Anne’s purchase will help support other families in need of TRU’s care.

To learn more about TRU Community Care’s services, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/.

To learn more about TRU Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.trucare.org/truthriftshop/.

Healing with Horses Through Grief and Loss

June 20, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Healing with Horses is a program of TRU Community Care and a part of our grief services for youth coping with death and loss. This week we sat down with Raegan Gyorffy, the Director of Grief and Volunteer Services, to gain insight into the immeasurable value of the program.

While describing the group and how the horses impact the participants’ lives, Raegan says, ”The group is truly special. Horses are large and intuitive, able to mirror emotions, and provide a conduit for conversation and a good alternative to traditional group talks.”

The program runs for an 8-week period in the fall and again in the spring. Each week the participants meet for themed sessions that pair conversation with interaction and care for the horses. Youth are partnered with one another based on the similarity of age, their stage of grief, and their type of loss. Additionally, they are matched with a horse for added support. Each program has eight youth and up to six adults to ensure the safety and care for everyone involved.

A coordinator of the program expresses her experience and perspective of the impact the horses have in the participant’s grief process by explaining that,

“The relationship with the horse offers connection that helps ground the kids and breaks down barriers. We often see kids who are silent during the talking circle and come alive and expand once they are with the horses. It seems to offer a non-threatening space for kids to open up, move their bodies, and engage their senses in a way that gives them access to their emotions and thoughts. Also, being outside, getting exercise and having fun are all healthy ways to cope with big emotions!”

She herself has learned from the youth participants how to cope with grief and loss, the power of connection and being understood, and the importance of the power of feeling seen in our grief. One father told her that his son says “grief camp” is his son’s favorite activity of all the things he does for fun.

Stories like these are truly why Grief Services and specialized programs like Healing with Horses are so crucial to the heart of TRU Community Care. We could not do it without the heart and dedication of our staff, volunteers, families, donors, and overarching community.

To learn more about Grief Services and how you can become involved with Healing with Horses, please visit our Services and Volunteer page.

What does your journey through grief look like?

March 4, 2019 by TRU Community Care

In honor of National Social Workers’ month, TRU’s Director of Volunteers and Grief Support Services, Raegan Gyorffy, LCSW, shares on bringing people from despair to hope.

Death is as universal as birth. No one escapes its reach. This includes Grief Counselors. What draws most to this profession is the touch of death itself in our personal lives. It sets us on a path of exploration and slogging forward, until ultimately we find some comfort and peace. That was it for me.

When death touched my life, the thing I came back to was Hope. This is what sets my practice apart, and what I infuse into my work with others journeying through grief.

Paul E. Miller captured it perfectly when he wrote:

What’s the point of love if the journey ends in despair? Love is what you do on the journey. Faith is how you make it through the journey. But hope is the end of the journey. Without hope, love makes no sense. – Love Walked Among Us

Helping people find their way back to hope from despair is a true joy for me. Everyone’s hope is different, but it is the essential ingredient to a life well lived and a life well memorialized. Walking with my clients as they seek to find a hope to anchor them to the “land of the living” again is a sacred journey.

Grief often muddles our brains. Grief makes life difficult to navigate. Grief feels like swimming in the middle of an unending pool. You get tired. You go under water. You have to find the energy to somehow fight to get your head back above water.

This is where grief counseling is helpful. We strive to help you find your strength again when you feel depleted. Our counselors work with you to find your Hope.

Sometimes this journey is a short one, sometimes it is longer. Honestly, no one’s journey to hope is the same. At TRU Community Care we’re here to guide you as you integrate the loss of your loved one into your everyday life for however long that takes. We have different ways of providing that support, from individual counseling to support groups, informational mailings and periodic phone calls, there are many ways to provide just the right support for you. We strive to tailor the grief support experience to the individual’s needs so that you have just what you need when you need it.

– Raegan Gyorffy, LCSW

Please share about your journey through grief and learn more about TRU’s grief support services.

TRU Community Care Awarded $250,000 Grant from Weinberg Foundation

September 29, 2017 by TRU Community Care

For Immediate Release – September 29, 2017

(Lafayette, CO) — TRU Community Care is the recipient of a $250,000 grant for its capital campaign. Awarded by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation of Baltimore, Maryland, the grant brings the total giving to almost $5 million, just shy of TRU’s $6 million goal. With this grant, the Weinberg Foundation will name the rehabilitation gym in the TRU PACE Center, where participants receive physical, occupational, speech and other necessary therapies.The capital campaign began in 2015 to raise funds for the new TRU PACE and Grief Services building located in Lafayette. PACE stands for Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly.

TRU Grief Services supports hospice families and the community at large with individual grief counseling and support groups. About 2,500 individuals each year benefit from services. Thirty percent have been served by TRU Hospice, and 70% are community members who have suffered some type of loss.

TRU PACE is now enrolling eligible seniors who live in Boulder and southwest Weld Counties. This innovative program, which began on March 1, serves residents by providing preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services that enable these elderly individuals to continue living safely in the community.

The Weinberg Foundation is committed to helping low-income older adults age in their communities with independence, dignity, and maximum quality of life,” said Aaron Merki, Weinberg Foundation Program Director, Older Adults. “PACE programs, including TRU PACE, play a vital role in fulfilling that commitment by providing and coordinating a variety of supports and services.

TRU PACE is available to people 55 years or older who are certified by the State of Colorado to need nursing-home-level care. The program supports clients to live as independently as possible and helps participants and their families navigate the complicated issues associated with aging. Individuals in Boulder County or southwest Weld County, who are currently living safely in the community, are encouraged to call and inquire about enrolling in TRU PACE.

TRU PACE’s goal is to help seniors in our community age in place,” says Executive Director Bob Thorn. “With the aging population in our community projected to grow 69% during the next 25 years, TRU Community Care is seizing the opportunity to continue its leadership by adding a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to our cadre of services.

As a program that serves seniors from all walks of life, TRU PACE is a Medicare/Medicaid covered program for participants. Clients in the TRU PACE program must receive all their health care, primary care and specialty physician services (other than emergency services) from TRU PACE providers. TRU PACE is part of the National PACE Organization (www.npaonline.org).

To learn more or to enroll in the TRU PACE program, individuals should call 303.665.0115, email pace@trucare.org or visit pace.trucare.org.

About TRU Community Care

TRU Community Care provides end-of-life hospice and palliative care as well as grief services to those residing in Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and southwest Weld counties. TRU now offers TRU PACE, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado serves Greeley and extends to Weld and Larimer counties. Additional services include grief support groups, which are available to anyone in the community free of charge. It is a privilege for us to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Grief groups include adult, teen, and child as well as equine therapy. At TRU Community Care, we add life to days, because that’s what TRUly matters. The sooner you call, the more we can help – 303.442.0961 or visit trucare.org.

Contact:
Annette Mainland, Vice President of Philanthropy
TRU Community Care
303.604.5261
annettemainland@trucare.org

Holiday Grief – You’re Not Alone

December 16, 2016 by TRU Community Care

Do the holidays make you feel uneasy? They are fast approaching. If you’re dreading them due to the loss of someone you love, know that your feelings are normal and you are not alone. Read on for tips on how to get through these days.

Be Open to New Traditions
For some, continuing traditions without their loved one there may be an important way to continue sharing their memory. For others, it may be more comforting to develop new rituals to help lessen the pain and immediacy of the loss.

Accept the Sadness
Let yourself feel your feelings. By allowing yourself to experience the sadness, it will pass more quickly than if you ignore it, hoping it will go away.

Remember Your Loved One
Light a candle, tell a funny story, create ornaments using photos, and talk about your special someone to keep the memories alive.

Reduce Your Stress
Take the time to prioritize what should be done, such as holiday baking, shopping for gifts, and decorating. Don’t try to do everything at once, and don’t overextend yourself or the commitments you make to others. Trust yourself first and foremost.

Practice Extreme Self-Care
Be gentle with yourself. You’ll feel so much better when you listen to your body and nurture it with the things it needs. Be just as kind to yourself as you were to your loved one.

Discover Small Joys
Gratitude makes for a happy heart. Take delight in the little things. Whether it’s the laughter of children or a hot mug of coffee, look for the good in each day.

Get more information on TRU Community Care’s grief services by calling 303.604.5300 or visit our Grief Services page.

TRU Grief Services Invites Community to Lights of Life Holiday Remembrance

October 27, 2016 by TRU Community Care

This holiday season, TRU Community Care invites you to remember someone who has been special in your life by attending our Lights of Life Holiday Remembrance Event on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.

Join TRU Community Care’s Grief Services department for a holiday remembrance ceremony on Dec. 8.

Our indoor event will feature a reading of names, music, and a luminaria ritual, along with light refreshments. You will have a chance to connect with others who are in similar situations and feel more supported going into the holidays.

Guests are invited to bring a photo or memento to place on our memory table. If you choose, you may also bring a story, poem, or reading to share during a designated time in the service. You may also come and just sit quietly.

Directions

2593 Park Lane, Lafayette, CO

TRU Community Care’s Grief Services office is located on the corner of Forest Park Circle and Park Lane in Lafayette, near the intersection of 95th and Arapahoe. The building is cream stucco with stone and has signs out front indicating that both TRU Grief Services and TRU Pace are housed in the building.

From the West
On Arapahoe going East, you’ll cross over 95th Street and take your first right on Forest Park Circle. Our building will be the second building on the left.

From the East
Going West on Arapahoe, you’ll cross over HWY 287 and drive about 1.3 miles. You’ll take a left onto Forest Park Circle and the office is will be the second building on the left.

TRU Community Care Receives $500k Grant Toward Capital Campaign

August 15, 2016 by TRU Community Care

TRU Community Care, founded in 1976 as the first hospice in Colorado, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $500,000 grant by the Daniels Fund.

The grant will be used to fund TRU’s Capital Campaign, a $6 million effort to raise funds for the new TRU PACE Center/TRU Hospice Grief Center in Lafayette. With the aging population expected to grow 69% during the next 25 years, TRU Community Care is seizing the opportunity to continue its leadership by adding a Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) to its cadre of services. The goal of PACE is to help frail elders (including veterans) remain safely in their homes through a continuum of care offering, including adult daycare, socialization, and medical care. TRU Community Care’s support will continue as these seniors move toward hospice care.

The Daniels Fund will name the Welcome Center on the PACE side of the site. Through the Welcome Center, participants will enter the building each day and from there access administrative offices, the transportation coordinator’s office, and the activities space.

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grant program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.

TRU Community Care serves Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Broomfield, Erie, and beyond. TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado offers services in Greeley and extends to Weld and Larimer counties.

Additional services include grief support, which is available to anyone in the community. It is a privilege for us to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Grief groups include adult, teen, and child as well as equine therapy.

At TRU Community Care, we add life to days, because that’s what TRUly matters. The sooner you call, the sooner we can help – 303.442.0961 or visit trucare.org

About the Author

Maria Thomas is the Communications Coordinator for TRU Community Care and TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado. She is a lover of the written word and also is a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). With over 15 years’ experience in the health care field, Maria has worked as a medical editor and as managing editor at National Jewish Health in Denver.