The Newtown Giving Circle supporting Regional Hospice and Home Care (RHHC) hosted its 28th annual Breakfast Fundraiser at The Waterview in Monroe on Wednesday, June 14. Supporters of the organization filled 40 tables at the popular event and celebrated the work RHHC has accomplished this year.

Before breakfast was served, the Newtown Police Honor Guard opened the ceremony. Officer William Chapman, Officer Matthew Hayes, Sergeant Liam Seabrook, and Officer Benjamin Mulhall marched in single file and stood before the crowd with the American flag raised.

To commemorate the fundraiser taking place on Flag Day, they led the group in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Following the honor guard was Monsignor Robert Weiss of St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, who conferred a blessing.

"Oh God, our healer, and our guide, we gather in gratitude this morning for the compassionate care given to us by Hospice," Msgr Weiss began.

He expressed gratitude to RHHC for the organization's sensitivity and holiness to those in need.

"They stand with us so we are not alone," Msgr Weiss continued. "They relieve our fear and anxiety, they guide us through grief, and they teach us to hold tightly to hope, even in the most difficult and painful times of our lives."

During the event, co-chairs Marg Studley and Marie Sturdevant gave special thanks to all the volunteers who dedicated their time to making the event possible. They reminded the crowd to tip their table hosts and hostesses, with all tips additionally benefiting the RHHC.

Guests were also encouraged to participate in the popular raffle, with a variety of prizes being presented to lucky attendees as the event drew to a close.

Besides the immediate money raised, RHHC received a $500 donation from the Newtown Lions Club in honor of former Newtown Lions Club President Jim Manville, who died earlier this year.

His wife Barbara Manville and current Newtown's Lions Club President Bruce Walczak presented the check to Ms Studley and Ms Sturdevant.

Making Wishes Come True

Cynthia Roy, president and CEO of RHHC, was one of the featured speakers at the event.

She thanked the supportive staff and volunteers who help make this event happen every year and shared the "wonderful things" happening with the organization.

After having their center for comfort, care, and healing opened for the past two years, she said it is full 99 percent of the time with people of all ages.

Meanwhile, their pediatric program continues to grow.

Ms Roy explained, "We actually service the largest number of pediatrics now in Connecticut, and we service those children anywhere in Connecticut."

She continued, "We have an amazing, amazing staff. It takes a really special kind of nurse and special kind of social worker to take care of dying children. We really work hard at making sure we provide the best quality at that very difficult time in a family's life."

Last year, the organization developed a contract with Yale New Haven Hospital Smilow Cancer Center that allows patients who are unable make it to the center, and who want to remain in the hospital, to stay and have the hospice team take care of patients at the hospital.

Ms Roy shared that at the center, staff, and volunteers have been part of some special moments this year, including actively granting wishes of patients.

One special wish was from a couple who desired to be married, so the center hosted its first hospice wedding; another wish that was granted was for a teenager to get to see the singer Marc Anthony; and for a 14-year-old who wanted to have a fashion show, her wish came true when RHHC arranged Hotel Zero, across from the center, to put out a red carpet, lights, and cameras for her own fashion show.

Ms Roy expressed that it is a joy and a privilege to be there for the families and patients during difficult times in their lives.

"We are really blessed to be able to walk that journey with families and patients and be with them during that time," Ms Roy said.

She concluded her speech by thanking the attendees for their support and helping them to continue what they do.

Continuing To Heal

As the morning light shined into the dining area from the venue's large windows, overlooking the waterway, RHHC's keynote speakers Dan and Lindie Bacon walked to the podium.

The two actively volunteer at Danbury's Regional Hospice and Palliative Care Center and experienced firsthand the benefits of its Healing Hearts Center For Grief and Loss.

Ms Bacon started off by explaining how the couple originally resided in the suburbs of Chicago and lived a relatively normal life filled with routine daily activities and close friends.

It was not until July 2011 that their son, who lived in Newtown, asked if they would consider moving closer to his family. Within a year, they found themselves settled into Newtown and becoming involved in the community, as well as in their grandchildren's lives.

"There was the Labor Day Parade, Halloween on Main Street, Thanksgiving, and then there was December 2012," Ms Bacon said solemnly.

Continuing where his wife left off, Mr Bacon said, "December 14, 2012, was a day that changed our lives forever. A day that we will never forget. It is too difficult to try to describe what we felt, what our family experienced, when we received the news that our beloved granddaughter Charlotte was one of the victims of the Sandy Hook School shooting."

He described how over the last four and a half years, his family has been asked how they have coped with their loss, and he cited three factors that have been "tremendous help."

The first, he says, is having faith and spiritual resources.

"We believe that there is a loving God who's at work in this world and in our lives and daily we were able to draw strength and courage to will us to go on," Mr Bacon said.

The second component to help their healing has been receiving support. He explained how after Charlotte died their family received about 4,000 letters and packages that came from all over the world to lend their sympathy.

In addition, the Healing Hearts Center For Grief and Loss's programs "made such a tremendous difference to us."

Not only were there support groups for victims' parents, but several months after the tragedy the organization started a program specifically for grandparents of victims.

'Life Is Good Again'

Since then, The Bacons have participated in the program regularly, which led them to the third piece of their healing puzzle.

After receiving so much support, they realized they needed to be giving in return and went on to offer their volunteer services with Regional Hospice and Palliative Care Center.

Mr Bacon said, "It's been such a privilege to connect with people that are facing, in some cases, the worst days of their lives and be there to say 'We care and we want to help.'"

Switching spots with her husband at the podium, Ms Bacon concluded their encouraging words by telling a touching memory she had as a child.

She recalled growing up in California and being mesmerized with the stained glass windows at her church. She enjoyed watching the colors shine through, and would be disappointed on days when it was raining or when services were at night as no light would shine in - for at those times it was dark and not the same.

"That's what we felt like when Charlotte died," Ms Bacon said. "It was like someone had turned out the lights on the outside of our lives. There was nothing bright or beautiful or colorful for a while."

However, with faith, support groups, and volunteer work, she and her husband began to see glimmers of the light again.

"I think we can truly say that today there is light shining through the windows, [even though] there's still dark patches," Ms Bacon said. "Thanks to Regional Hospice and Healing Hearts, in part, life is good again."

To learn more about Regional Hospice and Home Care, visit .regionalhospicect.org