Do You Know Someone Whos Dying?

Too many people are dying alone?

The dying are one of society's most unrecognized and under-served groups. As individuals near the end of life they are often ignored, discounted, misunderstood and forgotten.

We are doing something about it?

The Twilight Brigade/Compassion in Action is a national 501c(3) nonprofit organization committed to raising society's consciousness about the needs of the dying through community and professional education, advocacy, and service to the terminally ill and their loved ones so that no one need die alone.

The Twilight Brigade is a non-profit national association of end-of-life care volunteers. It was founded in 1997 in Los Angeles, and today has over 6,000 members nationwide. The Twilight Brigade does not provide health care or direct hospice services, though it embraces the hospice approach to end-of-life care. The Association provides education, training, and volunteers to assist the terminally ill and those closest to them.

Weekend intensive workshops

The Twilight Brigade offers an intensive 20-hour workshop designed to teach people how to provide comfort and support to the dying and their family members. It is appropriate for lay volunteers, as well as medical and mental health professionals. Three vital areas of focus are:

- Learning what to do and how to be with the dying

- Addressing personal fears and unresolved issues that prevent people from serving

- Developing techniques for self-care and avoiding burnout in order to continue serving this very special population

The Connecticut Affiliate Chapter of The Twilight Brigade currently has initiatives underway to provide training and volunteers for hospice, convalescent homes, VA hospitals, and prisons. If you are interested in volunteering for this special and rewarding work please contact us:

Karin Nemri, Chapter Chairperson

Phone: 860-243-0869

or visit us at www.TwilightBrigadeCT.org

New England - New York Expansion

The Connecticut chapter is helping The Twilight Brigade expand into New York and New England. We are holding training events and helping to form new chapters in this area. If you are interested in holding a weekend intensive seminar or forming a chapter in your area please contact us.

For more information about The Twilight Brigade national organization visit www.TheTwilightBrigade.com

The author is a certified trainer for The Twilight Brigade. He is working with The Twilight Brigade to establish volunteer chapters in the Northeast, particularly in locations where there are VA hospitals.

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Pope John Paul II

WHAT I LEARNED FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I am... Read More

Suicide - An Eternal Pain

Suicide is the one form of death that has quite... Read More

When The Spirit Leaves The Body

Do you spend most of your time inside or outside... Read More

If Ever It Is Me

With my father, his brother and their father having had... Read More

Dying On the Inside: A Childs Grief

The impatient tooting of a car horn startled us into... Read More

Then and Now

Over one hundred years ago, during the Victorian era, death... Read More

Who has the Worst Pain

During the 28 years I have been interacting with bereaved... Read More

Am I a Mother - Tips for Handling Mother?s Day After Miscarriage

Are you spending this Mother's Day wondering if you are,... Read More

Cultivate a Friendship with Death

Why We Fear Death"Men fear death as children fear to... Read More

The Lesson of a Mothers Death

Dedicated to my mother, FlorenceNovember 11, 1920 ? May 25,... Read More

Graceful Grief: Angelic Help is on the Way!

I believe that major change and loss in our lives... Read More

How Long Does It Take to Mend a Broken Heart?

Julian Austin, Canadian country singer, released a song called Should... Read More

When Change Comes (Dealing With Grief and Loss)

Needless to say, the time after loss is volatile and... Read More

Suicide Survivor

Suicide is a nightmare for survivors of loved ones. Death... Read More

Anticipatory Grief and Ongoing Sadness for Caregivers

In 1969, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published her famous book; On... Read More

We are the Reflection of our Lives: How to Survive Loss & Humility

Everyday, I look in the mirror to see the face... Read More

Handicapped From Suicide

I am 23 years old. I come from a large... Read More

Death Poem

During the two years of my husband's terminal illness, death... Read More

Traumas as Social Interactions

("He" in this text - to mean "He" or "She").We... Read More

Suicide in the Church Part 1

Recently, several suicides have occurred right here in my own... Read More

Suicide in the Church Part 2

In a town the size of mine - about 16,000... Read More

Online Memorial ? A Dedication of Love for Your Departed Loved Ones

Life has always been a journey, a journey of finding... Read More

In the Blink of an Eye

Today's Quote: "My house is burned down, but I can... Read More

GoodBye GrandMa

My dearest Grandma, I will never forget you & sorry... Read More

How to Cope with Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief is the name given to the mix of... Read More

Mexico: Death in Mexico

Death: No thank you. Dying: Gives me a panic attack.... Read More

On Empathy

The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1999 edition) defines empathy as:"The ability to... Read More

How to Turn Grief into Joy

I was with my daddy when he died. Excuse me,... Read More

Angelo Dies

Angelo C, was a good man that never did any... Read More

And You Always Will

I opened the dishtowel drawer for about the sixth time,... Read More

Liberation

It is one thing to be free; it is quite... Read More

Angel of Comfort... The Story

I am an Angel artist and several weeks ago while... Read More

Grief Masks

October makes me think of Halloween, and Halloween makes me... Read More