Scott Evans

CBG meets for breakfast every Thursday at 7:30AM at the Holiday Inn Express in Chestertown.  Our meetings start promptly at 7:30AM, so you may want to come at 7:15AM to get your breakfast before the meeting. Our web site is www.kentcbg.org.  If you have any suggestions for a program you would like to see, please send us an email message at d.atlas.co@gmail.com

Click here for Nomination Forms

Deadline for nominations:  Wednesday, January 13, 2016

 

Kent County Chamber of Commerce

Your leading advocate for business in Kent County   

 

 

Facebook:  Salon/chestertown 

CNB, a member of Shore Bancshares community of companies, is proud to recognize Holly Johnston for 30 years of dedicated service. In 1985, Ms. Johnston began her banking career at the CNB branch in Milford, Delaware. During Ms. Johnston's career, her position has evolved from Teller to Head Teller, and then Customer Service Representative. She is currently a Teller at the CNB branch in Felton, Delaware.

"CNB is pleased to celebrate Holly's Thirty years of service. Her loyalty, knowledge and leadership skills are a tremendous asset to CNB and she is well respected by her co-workers and customers. It is a pleasure to work with her everyday" says Ed Allen, President and CEO of CNB.

Ms. Johnston resides near Canterbury and enjoys being outdoors, camping, boating, spending time at the beach, traveling and taking long walks especially with her dog, Dallas. She demonstrates her commitment to the betterment of the community by participating in Relay for Life as well as volunteering at the Moose Lodge and the American Legion C.K.R.T. Post #7 in Harrington, Delaware.

Linda Mastro, Director, Marketing and Communications
443-262-4117, lmastro@compassregionalhospice.org

For immediate release - December 23, 2015

Compass Regional Hospice Promotes RNs to Leadership Team
 

Two nurses were recently promoted to positions on the Compass Regional Hospice Leadership Team. Christie Gessford, RN, is now director of clinical services, and Missy Willis, RN, is quality manager.

Christie Gessford, a resident

Christie Gessford, RN

of Centreville, joined Compass Regional Hospice in 2014 as a nurse in the Hospice Center based in Centreville. She was responsible for providing care to patients admitted to the Hospice Center for residential and general inpatient care. In 2015 she became the quality manager and is now the director of clinical services. In her new role Gessford oversees all of the nursing functions related to providing patient care, including patient referral, admissions, and nursing services offered in private residences, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. She also manages the operations of the Centreville Hospice Center and the Caroline Hospice Home in Denton.

Gessford earned her nursing degree from Anne Arundel Community College. She began her nursing career as an oncology nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Prior to coming to Compass Regional Hospice she was a critical care charge nurse for 10 years at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.

Missy Willis, RN

Missy Willis, a resident of Chestertown, has been a hospice nurse for 28 years. After graduating from the Nursing School of Wilmington she worked for the Kent County Health Department as a hospice nurse for Kent Home Health and Hospice. In 2001 Willis came to Hospice of Queen Anne's (now Compass Regional Hospice), where she has earned a reputation as an accomplished hospice nurse, who is respected by her colleagues and the patients and families that she serves.

As the quality manager, Willis ensures that the operations of Compass Regional Hospice meet the highest standards of state and national regulatory compliance. She also identifies opportunities for process improvement that maintain the agency's reputation as a leader in the delivery of all aspects of hospice care.

"Christie and Missy are two of the best nurses I have worked with in my 20 years of hospice nursing," says Heather Guerieri, RN, MSN, CHPN, executive director, Compass Regional Hospice. "They are role models for how to bring our values - affirmation of life through respect, compassion, trust and commitment - into every interaction with patients, family members, caregivers, and their Compass colleagues and volunteers."

Compass Regional Hospice provides hospice care and grief support in Queen Anne's, Kent and Caroline Counties. For more information, call 443-262-4100 and visit www.compassregionalhospice.org.

For immediate release - December 24, 2015

Camp New Dawn Breaks Records

Camp New Dawn had a record-breaking 21st year in 2015 when 79 campers, 15 families and 124 volunteers participated in this summer grief retreat hosted by Compass Regional Hospice. The healing retreat is held every summer at Camp Pecometh in Centreville.

Joy Denes (center) attended the Camp New Dawn family retreat after the death of her daughter Ashley Denes. Joy's son Vincent Law and daughter Abby Denes helped her decorate a clay flower pot with words that expressed their joys and griefs. After decorating the pot the family used a hammer to break the pot into pieces. They then glued the pot back together again as a reminder that they are there for each other to put back the pieces of their lives.

Camp New Dawn kicks off on Saturday, when the kids and teens, ages seven through 17, check in. The opening sessions set the stage for a weekend of fun and friendship with activities that help the campers remember those who have died and talk about their losses.

Rhonda Knotts, MSCC, director of Camp New Dawn and grief services coordinator for Compass Regional Hospice, explains, "Kids of all ages interact at the beginning of the weekend as they participate in therapeutic workshops. They get to see that other young people understand what it feels like to lose someone they love."

Therapeutic workshops are designed to give the campers options that meet their interests and skills. Some workshops revolve around music. Others use art and physical activities. "All of the workshops offer a lesson that the campers can take from the experience," Knotts says. "For example, using a sling shot the children learn to let go of loneliness, negative emotions and thoughts that linger following the death of a sibling, parent, friend or other special person."

After working with campers of different ages, the children move into age-specific support groups. "The opening workshops get campers ready to talk with their peers about their experiences of loss," Knotts explains. "The volunteers who lead these age-specific groups are trained to create an environment that is safe, loving and comfortable. They do a great job of connecting activities to the personal story each camper shares."

Camp New Dawn buddy Lisa Davis (left) helped camper Katherine Maulecreate a square for a memory quilt.

Each year Camp New Dawn introduces new elements to enhance the experience. In 2015 the family camp began a day earlier so that adults could have 24 hours with each other before the children joined them for two days of workshops and play.
"The adults who attended the family retreat in 2014 asked if they could have a day on their own," says Knotts. "We take this kind of feedback to heart and use it to continually raise the bar on the camp experience."

Camp New Dawn is one of the programs offered through the Compass Regional Hospice Hope & Healing Center.  Knotts says, "The grief support programs we offer recognize that grief looks different for each person. We also know that when we care for one member of a family we are caring for the whole family. Our job is to respect each person's ability to navigate the

Camp New Dawn buddy Tony Tue (center) is surrounded by some of his camp 9- and 10-year-old fans.

grief journey."

Volunteers make Camp New Dawn possible. Only a handful of Compass Regional Hospice staff are at Camp Pecometh for the weekend. In addition to Knotts these staffers include Courtney Williams, assistant director of Camp New Dawn; Rev. Nancy Greenwell, chaplain; Shelly Griffith, RN, camp nurse; and Ann OConnor and Wayne Larrimore, grief counselors.

The most visible volunteers are the buddies who are paired up with a camper. Other volunteers lead workshops, art activities and outdoors events. Another group of volunteers welcome campers, manage registration, set up and break down workshops, prepare and serve food, and make sure that everyone is where they need to be.

"We depend on volunteers to tend to every detail of camp. They also care for each other in the volunteer respite cabin during these busy, heart-opening days," explains Courtney Williams, who is also manager of volunteer and professional services for Compass Regional Hospice.

"We look for people who have a variety of life experiences to volunteer for Camp New Dawn. The most important criteria is having a desire to help," says Williams. "All volunteers are screened and trained to work within the mission of Camp New Dawn."

A special group of volunteers are the Peers as Leadersor PALs, former campers who have completed at least one year of high school. Williams explains, "These amazing young people, who have personal knowledge of how grief effects children and teens, work closely with the adult team leaders and buddies."

The volunteer

Teen campers and their mentors pose with the spray-painted van that is one of the most popular Camp New Dawn activities every year.

corps also includes a group known as Campatiers, young people who are not yet old enough to volunteer as a PAL, but who would like to give back because of what they learned by going to camp. "Campetiers receive direction from a more experienced adult volunteer," Williamsexplains. "They support camp by helping with daily tasks and activity preparation."

The Camp New Dawn organizers strive to be inclusive so that children of all abilities can participate. Williams explains, "Our volunteer buddies make it possible for the children to have fun with loving, caring adults while their parents and caregivers have time to care
for themselves at the family retreat."

The cost to operate Camp New Dawn far exceeds the registration fee charged for each camper and family. "We keep the cost of this program low - $30 per camper and $75 per family. No one is ever turned away due to inability to pay," explains Knotts. "We depend on the generosity of the community and on grants to underwrite the majority of the cost of this program."

In 2015 Camp New Dawn was supported by several community fundraisers. Most notably, the Farm to Table dinner hosted by Paige Evans, John Evans and Zeke Warner raised $23,000 for Camp New Dawn. Many members of the community donated materials, art supplies and snacks usedthroughout the weekend.  

The planning and continual improvement that goes into Camp New Dawn earned Compass Regional Hospice a spot on the program at the National Bereavement Camp Conferencesponsored by the Moyer Foundation. At the conference held in November in Washington, DC, Knotts and Williams presented a workshop entitled "How to grow a forest with just one seed."

Knotts explains, "We accepted the invitation to speak because we believe that we are the onlygrief retreat in the country that encompasses five different programs - the kids segment, the teen segment, the mini-camp for the little children, the adult retreat and the family retreat. The seed of Camp New Dawn, which began as a weekend retreat just for kids 21 years ago, has grown into a grief program that meets the needs of people of all ages and stages of grief."

Williams adds, "Our presentation atthe National Bereavement Camp Conference showed how we are able to offer each separate program in the same retreat weekend through training, oversight and a unique organizational structure.  We also shared activities and modalities we have found to be successful."

Planning is underway for Camp New

Rhonda Knotts, MSCC, director of Camp New Dawn and grief services coordinator for Compass Regional Hospice, and Courtney Williams, volunteer and professional services manager for Compass Regional Hospice, shared their Camp New Dawn success story at the National Bereavement Camp Conference sponsored by the Moyer Foundation.

Dawn 2016. The retreat for children and teens ages seven through 17 will be held at Camp Pecometh Saturday, August 13 through Monday, August 15. On Monday, August 15, children ages four through six are welcome to attend day camp. The family retreat begins on Sunday, August 14 for the adults and continues on Monday, August 15 through Tuesday, August 16 for the adults and their children.

For more information about Camp New Dawn and becoming a volunteer, contact Rhonda Knotts, 443-262-4109, knotts@compassregionalhospice.org. Learn more about Camp New Dawn and view a video about the 2015 retreats at
www.compassregionalhospice.org/campnewdawn.