July 3, 2018 Blount County Tennessee
Three months ago, the Blount Memorial Hospice Care (BMHC) partnered with Vet to Vet Tennessee (VTVT) to work together to ensure that excellent care at the end of life is available for our nation’s Veterans and their families. BMHC is a certified “We Honor Veterans” Tier 3 partner.
VTVT provides BMHC staff and volunteers WW II and Korean War Veterans Certificates of Honor and Vietnam Veterans with the Vietnam War Commemoration Presidential Proclamation and lapel. VTVT also provides Certificates of Honor for the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War surviving spouses with Certificates of Honor and Veteran hats to honor our heroes and their families. Below is an email we received from BMHC staff member Anne Van Curen who visited with two hospice veterans today.
“I just returned from visiting 2 of our hospice families. I traveled to these homes with Gary and Jeff – 2 of our Hospice Volunteers who happen to be Veterans. The purpose of our visits were to present Hospice patients who are Veterans a “Certificate of Thankfulness for their Service from a Grateful Nation”. As I listened to a daughter talk about moving all over the world with her single parent Dad, who served in the Army for 27 years, it occurred again to me that we need not only to thank our Veterans, but their family members!
In another home, where there were two Vietnam Veterans, they both sat with tears in their eyes as they were presented with their certificates. “I didn’t expect this – it means so much!” one said.
This year July the 4th means more to me, I believe, as I have had the honor to sit with these men and woman in their memories and their tears. I am thankful Hospice allows us the opportunity to recognize those who have given so much to secure our freedom! Let us today once again be Grateful! Blount Memorial Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Anne Van Curen.
We are blessed and honored to have such wonderful, patriotic partner. Thank you.
If you are interested in becoming a Veteran Hospice Volunteer please call Anne Van Curen at 865-977-5702 or leave her a message below.
