The next training will be offered through Winthrop’s Heritage Rehabilitation and Living Center.

LEWISTON – Beacon Hospice and Palliative Care announces the graduation of four of the newest volunteers. Charles Sifferman and Helene Bernier of Lewiston and Michael and Doris Pelletier of Auburn have completed the seven-week, 21-hour training session, which began in late January.

The course included an in-depth look at the hospice experience, from understanding hospice history and philosophy to guiding patients and their families through the journey of dying and beyond. The graduates are working with Beacon patients residing in area nursing facilities.

Volunteer Coordinator Donna Rousseau said Sifferman, Bernier and the Pelletiers are the first group to graduate from among the three trainings she has been conducting since January.

“Beacon has been privileged to work with an exceptional group of individuals with unique talents to offer,” said Rousseau. “Michael and Doris are our very first husband-and-wife volunteer team; Charles and Helene both bring professional backgrounds and previous volunteer experiences to the table as well.”

Beacon’s next volunteer training will be offered through Heritage Rehabilitation and Living Center in Winthrop. For additional information about this and other upcoming trainings, contact Donna Rousseau at 784-4242.