By Maddie Monroe
This Veterans Day, Harbor Hospice is honoring all those who served our country, and the veterans in our care. As an organization, we have made a pledge to serve those who have served our country.
This is why Harbor Hospice is recognized as a level 5 in the We Honor Veterans (WHV) program.As a level 5 Partner, Harbor Hospice not only delivers tailored support to Veterans and their families but also mentors other organizations nationwide in Veteran-centric care.
One aspect of our involvement in WHV is our annual Veterans Panel Discussion, a free event open to Veterans, their spouses, and spouses of fallen Veterans. The goal of the panel discussion is to provide resources and answer questions to help local veterans better understand the variety of programs available in our community.
This year’s panel discussion was held on November 6th at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum in Muskegon and included four panelists from the Battle Creek VA Medical Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Our panelists included Patrick Kiely, LCSW, LMFT, Kristi Cobb, Julie Anderson, LCSW, and Alicia Cox, LCSW. During the discussion, our four panelists spoke to Veterans about suicide prevention, benefit eligibility, Veterans’ foster homes, and other resources available in our region.
“We’re really trying to focus on what is most relevant for Veterans in Muskegon,” Patrick Keily said. “So, focusing on homelessness, medical foster care, suicide prevention, and continuing to evolve to the growing needs in our community.”
Thank you to all who came out and joined our discussion. We are looking forward to hosting another panel discussion next year at the same location.
If you missed our panel discussion and are in need of resources, or if you are interested in helping Harbor Hospice serve Veterans in our care, we have more information about our WHV program under the services tab on our site.
We are also always in need of Veteran volunteers to visit patients who are Veterans to listen to their stories and offer grateful acknowledgement of their service. We also offer a very personal ceremony during which we present a Veteran with a specially designed pin, giving us another opportunity to thank both our Veterans and the family members that surround them for the sacrifices they made in service to our country.
If you are interested in volunteering your time with Veterans, please contact our Volunteer and Events Coordinator, Amber Wallace 231.728.3442.
