BRATTLEBORO — Atamaniuk Funeral Home is hosting its 16th annual Holiday Support Program and Service of Remembrance for bereaved families and friends on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
The event is at the Carl M. Dessaint VFW Post home, 40 Black Mountain Rd., at 7 p.m. The public is invited free of charge.
Celebrating the holidays without a loved one is one of the most strenuous events for a grieving family. Often, celebrations and special family traditions are difficult for the bereaved.
During this program, speakers will share specific ways of coping with the holiday season and provide helpful booklets and brochures. There will be a candle-lighting ceremony in honor of all families that have experienced a loss. Each deceased family member will be remembered that evening. Refreshments follow.
Organizers encourage those who plan on attending the event to invite two other people who they know have experienced a loss. The program is open to everyone, not just families served by Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
Featured speaker is Dr. Anne Black, a local grief therapist and founder and executive director of The Warrior Connection. Her business provides therapy for combat veterans working to resolve loss, heal moral injury, and mitigate and reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Dr. Black is the author of several related books, and leads workshops in the field of bereavement and aftercare.
Music for this year's program features local musician and composer Bill Shontz, who has for more than 30 years entertained millions of children and their parents throughout the country with his imaginative and witty style of music and humor.