Get in the spirit of caring through a training session focused on spiritual health.

A free nine-week Spirit of Caring volunteer education course will run on Wednesdays from April 8 to June 3 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The location will be determined based on the communities of registered participants. Virtual sessions via Microsoft Teams will also be an option if participants are from different communities.

Through this course, participants will learn about spiritual care in health care. Other topics include death and dying, communication, spiritual development and spiritual diversity. The course will also touch on understanding suffering and compassion, as well as self-care, prayer, mediation, rituals, trauma and crisis.

“Illnesses and loss are those crisis points where our way of life and seeing things can be profoundly shaken and tested,” said Ferdinand Funk, spiritual health services co-ordinator for Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.

“It is during these moments that we ask questions about meaning, purpose, suffering, forgiveness, hope, resilience, connection with the people we love and the sacred. The Spirit of Caring course is designed to train spiritual health volunteers to journey with and support people during these crisis points.”

Regular attendance and participation are requirements to be considered for a Spiritual Care volunteer position.

For more information, contact Ferdinand Funk at [email protected] or 204-461-3414. Visit https://forms.office.com/r/KYubUZ5sRx to learn more or register for free.