New St. Charles walking groups in Prineville tackle grief, one step at a time
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- New walking groups in Prineville aim to provide innovative support to individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Healing Hearts walking events, which begin Monday, April 8, invite individuals experiencing grief to participate in a series of guided walks led by caregivers from St. Charles’ Hospice and Bereavement team in partnership with Crook County on the Move.
Every other week, the group will gather at St. Charles Prineville for a guided walk that will focus on a different topic, including understanding grief, six needs of mourning, support networks, leveraging self-care and more.
Aaron Contreras, the bereavement coordinator for St. Charles Hospice, said the idea for the walks came from someone who had experienced a loss.
“She wanted to have a group that let her work through her loss, while also having a community to do something active with. Our hope that a walking group like this might be helpful to those who are managing a loss in their life while also engaging in a great self-care activity in the community.”
Contreras will lead the walking groups alongside Mindy Laidlaw, supervisor of home-based care support services for St. Charles.
The walking groups are in partnership with Crook County on the Move, a local group that aims to keep residents healthy and active. The group has numerous events planned this spring, including general walking groups, community garden party, a community-wide Cancer Awareness Walk June 1 (which will feature a walk-through colon from St. Charles), and Heart Health 101 classes taught by a St. Charles provider.
Learn more about all the of upcoming activities at Crook County on the Move’s website. The Healing Hearts walking groups do not require registration. Interested individuals can meet at 1 p.m. in the healing gardens at the north end of St. Charles Prineville.
About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, La Pine and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, nonprofit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
