MIDDLEBURY — Hospice Volunteer Services and American Flatbread in Middlebury will host “From the Hearth: Stories of Love & Loss at the End of Life” on Sunday, May 1. In this Moth-inspired storytelling event, pre-selected community members will tell true, first-person stories on their experiences being with loved ones at the end of life. Between stories, Burlington trio “The Brevity Thing” will play songs connected to the stories being told.
The event begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour with light fare, and at 6:15 p.m. stories will begin. There is a suggested donation of $10.
One of Hospice Volunteer Service’s missions is providing bereavement support and education to the community. “In our bereavement support programs, we provide a home for people’s stories of love and loss to be shared and held within community,” says Zubin Mistri, who is helping produce the event for Hospice. “We wanted to extend this part of our work into a community event as a way of honoring our shared humanity, and encouraging people to share and listen to stories of love and loss in their own lives. This kind of storytelling is an age-old human need that can bring great healing, comfort and a sense of connection to all of us.”
Hospice Volunteer Services received a Small and Inspiring grant from the Vermont Community Foundation to create this special event, and American Flatbread is donating its warm space to host it.