We Honor Veterans is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and was developed in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through participation in this program, Caring Circle has created a veteran centric culture of care to provide for the unique needs of veterans as they approach end of life. Designed to honor and thank military veterans for their service to our country, this program hosts special recognition tributes to those who have served. During the Hospice at Home Salutes Our Veterans certificate presentation, veteran volunteers along with Caring Circle team members thank our veterans for their service to our country. It is a way to show respect and our appreciation for their service.
The Gift of Patriotism
Eagle Scout candidate, Cameron Needham, recently gifted a flagpole to the Merlin and Carolyn Hanson Hospice Center in honor of veterans and active-duty service members. For the past three years, Cameron worked with community members and area organizations to obtain the flagpole and have it installed at the facility’s front entrance as part of an Eagle Scout project. A ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 28, to dedicate the flagpole and award Cameron with his official distinction as an Eagle Scout.
“I recognized that there was not a flagpole at the Hanson Hospice Center and chose to place one there as my Eagle Scout project because I felt it would be important for veterans staying at the center to be able to look out the window and see the flag,” said Cameron. “The completion of my project means I can do anything if I put my mind to it and that I have what it takes to lead.”
Members of Cameron’s Eagle Scout Troop, Caring Circle and Pine Ridge staff members, and local veterans were in attendance at the dedication ceremony.
“It’s a public display of patriotism,” said Arden Pridgeon, WWII Army Veteran.
“The flagpole is an honor as a veteran, but it was also an honor to serve,” said Jim Kehrer, Vietnam Army Veteran. “It’s an honor to be a part of the brotherhood.”
To learn more how you can support the We Honor Veterans program visit www.caring-circle.org or call (269) 429-7100