HopeHealth recognizes Memorial Day
HopeHealth honored service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice Friday, May 28, with a Memorial Day program on the front lawn of the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence.
With U.S. and POW/MIA flag presentations by Jr. ROTC cadets from West Florence and Wilson high schools, a brief history of Memorial Day by Conner Smith, veteran care navigator, and comments from Henry Humphries, veteran liaison, the program served as a reminder of the true meaning of memorial day.
The flags were flown at half-mast through Memorial Day on the recently installed pole and will continue to be flown daily and illuminated at night per the flag code.
The newly installed flag pole at the plaza – just one of the ways in which the organization recognizes and focuses on helping veterans. HopeHealth honors veterans year-round with programs that address veterans’ health care needs, help navigate services, connect with community resources, and provide fellowship with peers, including:
· Veteran liaisons and care coordinators – Veteran liaisons and care coordinators at HopeHealth are themselves veterans who understand the unique needs of service members and their families. They help navigate health care services and specialize in helping veterans get connected to their local Veterans Affairs offices, understand benefit eligibility, submit claims, or file for an appeal, along with many other services both inside and outside of HopeHealth.
· Veterans with Hope – Held on the third Thursday of every month, veterans and their families are welcome to gather to hear about local resources and upcoming opportunities. Each month the event includes two speakers – one affiliated with HopeHealth, the other representing a community resource from which our veterans could benefit.
· Cup of Joe with a Joe – A morning gathering of veterans on the first Friday of the month.
· ‘Thank A Veteran’ Art Contest – Each fall, local students are invited to show their appreciation for veterans in an art contest. Several submissions are selected to be displayed in the Medical Plaza on a wall dedicated to our Veterans with Hope program.
Most recently, HopeHealth established a permanent Missing Man table honoring POW/MIA (Prisoners of War/Missing in Action) in the Coast Line Café at the Medical Plaza in Florence. The Missing Man table dates back to the Vietnam War, and is used to honor service members who were taken prisoner by the enemy or were never found. Two additional tables will rotate through our other sites to honor these service members and spread the word about Veteran programs at HopeHealth.
Visit hope-health.org/veterans to learn more about HopeHealth veterans programs.
