CaringMatters

Volunteer helping hands is Caringmatters' hospice support program that provides community-based social and emotional support, free of charge, to montgomery county residents with serious, life-limiting illness. These individuals are facing an acute decline in functioning or progression of disease and can benefit from extra support. Services include, but are not limited to: companionship and emotional support, assistance with household tasks, respite care, patient advocacy, and limited transportation to medical appointments. While we do not provide medical services, we supplement medical hospice and also support patients who are still pursuing curative treatment.

Good grief clubs are seven-week support groups designed to help children in grades k-12 explore their feelings, develop healthy coping strategies, and find comfort and safety in knowing that they are not alone. These groups are facilitated by trained Caringmatters volunteers in partnership with montgomery county public schools, independent schools, and other community-based organizations.camp erin montgomery county, held once a year, is an overnight weekend camp for grieving children, ages 6-17, that is part of a national network of camp erin programs. The camp offers age-appropriate discussions and creative, fun-filled activities designed to help children share their feelings with peers who have had similar experiences. Camp erin montgomery county is a partnership between Caringmatters and bar-t, Inc. Caringmatters' family nights are designed for families who have experienced the death of a loved one. Each workshop is held prior to a major holiday so families can learn coping skills, plan for how to handle celebrations, and mark the absence of their loved one. Following activities, families are invited for dinner and to enjoy conversations with one another.

Caringmatters' adult bereavement support groups are facilitated by trained volunteers, allowing participants to meet others who are also grieving, share their stories, and learn from one another. Groups are organized to bring together people grieving similar losses, such as spousal/partner loss, parent loss, or loss by suicide. Caringmatters' newest program is the former caregivers retreat for family/friend primary caregivers who loved one has died within the past two years. This unique weekend retreat, offered free of charge, enables participants to connect with other former caregivers who have had similar experiences caring for seriously ill loved ones. Therapeutic group activities include grief support, commemoration of loved ones, self-care, relaxation, and strategies for refocusing on life post-caregiving and rebuilding one's identity.

Caringmatters' community education programs works to raise awareness and better equip people to address end-of-life and grief-related issues. We host relevant workshops and film screenings, offer continuing education (ceu) workshops for professionals, and facilitate dialogue on relevant topics in the community.