About the Event
The Celebration of Lights will be held at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the United Methodist Church, 2227 Fourth St. in Monroe.
Ornaments may be ordered at St. Camillus Center Clare's Closet in the hospital, at the hospital and clinic information desks or by calling 324-1230.
MONROE - Monroe Clinic Hospice volunteers are getting ready for their 14th annual Celebration of Lights on Dec. 4 at the United Methodist Church in Monroe.
The Celebration of Lights is the Monroe Hospice volunteers' way to honor and remember those who have died and to support the families who are grieving, especially during the holiday season.
Nine Hospice volunteers and volunteer coordinator Darcy Brunner spent Tuesday morning at the St. Camillus hospice house, sorting ornaments and preparing invitational letters to be sent to hospice patient families. Volunteers will be there several more mornings before the work is done.
"It's the fun part," Lucy Huber, a third year volunteer, said.
Some volunteers have been helping with the Celebration of Lights since its inception.
A back room at St. Camillus was bright and busy, aglitter with gold and silver ornaments and stacks of envelopes. Huber sat in one corner of the room, opening ornament packages and snipping off the brand tags.
Other women were cutting hundreds of little gold and silver threads. Eventually, the sparkling pieces will be used to attach marble translucent tags, each bearing in decorative font the name of one hospice patient they have served in the past year.
Once finished, the ornaments go into decorative bags for their family to take home.
Since November 2008, Hospice served 144 patients who have died in Green County, Wisconsin, and Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties in Illinois.
For some families, the Celebration of Lights have become a treasured holiday tradition.
Not only do families receive a personalize keepsake ornament, the names of their loved ones are read during the celebration. The celebration also includes music, group readings, poetry, and the lighting of a memory candle.
"The service is a beautiful and touching experience, allowing those in attendance to honor individuals who have passed away, as well as those who are still living," Carla Stadel, director of the Monroe Clinic Hospice, said.
Extra ornaments are also available for a minimum donation of $7. The proceeds go to benefit Hospice.
"Lots of people order every year," Rita Baker, a Hospice volunteer since 2000, said.
This year, so far, 600 ornaments have been ordered. Hospice will take orders up to Dec. 2. In 2007, 800 ornaments were made.
The Celebration of Lights is the Monroe Hospice volunteers' way to honor and remember those who have died and to support the families who are grieving, especially during the holiday season.
Nine Hospice volunteers and volunteer coordinator Darcy Brunner spent Tuesday morning at the St. Camillus hospice house, sorting ornaments and preparing invitational letters to be sent to hospice patient families. Volunteers will be there several more mornings before the work is done.
"It's the fun part," Lucy Huber, a third year volunteer, said.
Some volunteers have been helping with the Celebration of Lights since its inception.
A back room at St. Camillus was bright and busy, aglitter with gold and silver ornaments and stacks of envelopes. Huber sat in one corner of the room, opening ornament packages and snipping off the brand tags.
Other women were cutting hundreds of little gold and silver threads. Eventually, the sparkling pieces will be used to attach marble translucent tags, each bearing in decorative font the name of one hospice patient they have served in the past year.
Once finished, the ornaments go into decorative bags for their family to take home.
Since November 2008, Hospice served 144 patients who have died in Green County, Wisconsin, and Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties in Illinois.
For some families, the Celebration of Lights have become a treasured holiday tradition.
Not only do families receive a personalize keepsake ornament, the names of their loved ones are read during the celebration. The celebration also includes music, group readings, poetry, and the lighting of a memory candle.
"The service is a beautiful and touching experience, allowing those in attendance to honor individuals who have passed away, as well as those who are still living," Carla Stadel, director of the Monroe Clinic Hospice, said.
Extra ornaments are also available for a minimum donation of $7. The proceeds go to benefit Hospice.
"Lots of people order every year," Rita Baker, a Hospice volunteer since 2000, said.
This year, so far, 600 ornaments have been ordered. Hospice will take orders up to Dec. 2. In 2007, 800 ornaments were made.