I have certainly had jobs that I did not love - jobs that made me nauseous as I drove to work in the morning. One time I had a job where my supervisor (a woman) was a tyrant. She finally gave her notice and moved out of state, so we had her “going away party” AFTER she left the building! Once, I had a boss that climbed up on my desk and yelled, “I AM THE BOSS!” over and over again. I’m pretty sure that was the first time I ever hyperventilated! (If you don’t believe me, I have living witnesses to this event that will testify!) Years ago, I had a job that I had to memorize the price of every product in the store and take a test each week. If you failed the test, you got fired. Thankfully I was young then and never failed, but if I had to do that today I’d be in the unemployment line for sure.
For me, the difference in my job today and those jobs in the past is simple. At Hospice we help people. People who are hurting. People who are facing tragedy, and need someone to tell them it’s going to be okay. At the end of the day, I feel like I was a small part of the whole that helped our community. Being surrounded by angels doesn’t hurt either. On a daily basis I work shoulder to shoulder with nurses, social workers, nurse assistants, chaplains, and administrative people who do things that are indescribable, undesirable, and sometimes just plain unbelievable. If I didn’t think people would think I was bragging, I would hang a sign over the entrance door in our office that said “Through these doors walk some of the finest people that ever walked the face of the earth.”
Our mission at hospice is that we give quality care to our patients, their families, and our community. One example of our community outreach is Camp WINGS. Camp Wings is a bereavement camp for children ages 6 - 16, who have lost a loved one. Camp Wings is designed to help children understand that their feelings of grief and loss are normal. With the help of trained counselors, social workers and volunteers, the campers will have a safe and supportive environment in which to express their feelings. Children enjoy arts and crafts, outdoor games, and great food and fun! However, what makes this camp different are the trained counselors who work with the children, split in groups based on age, and go through therapeutic sessions.
This will the 11th year that we have taken children to "Camp WINGS." Here at Heart of Georgia, we service 10 counties. However, any child who can get to camp can attend, regardless of where they live. Camp WINGS is for ANY child who has lost a loved one, not just children whose loved one was on our program. Many of the children represented are disadvantaged youth. These are kids who have lost mama, daddy, sisters, brothers, or grandparents. Many are from families who struggle financially as well as emotionally. They have never had an opportunity to attend a camp, much less a camp that would help them deal with their grief.
Now that you know this, will you help us? We need people to sponsor a child at camp. It goes without saying that during these tough economic times, raising money ain’t easy. We figure that it costs approximately $150 for one child to attend camp. Again, there is no charge to the camper and their family. We depend on people like you to help us. I’ve attached a “widget” to this blog. You should be able to click it and make a donation. Any amount will help. If the widget doesn’t work (and it may not because I set it up and got all kind of confused) just call me (953-5161) and we’ll figure out another way. Help us meet our goal and in the process you will be helping a child who needs some TLC. Also, if you think you might like to be a volunteer, call me! I will put you to work and you will come away blessed!
Camp WINGS 2011
Nov. 4, 5, 6, 2011
Camp Echeconnee, Lizella GA
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