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Michael Brian Horton May 30, 2016 Last night I had myself a dreamI still can see it nowA staircase stood before meSpiraling up into the cloudsIts wood was worn and weatheredBut had stood the tests of timeAnd I came upon a young man thereAs I began to climbHis uniform colonialHis tri cornered hat pulled downHe said I fell by bayonetDefending CharlestownA few more steps into my climbThere stood another LadHe said we gave them it all in 1812With everything we hadAs my journey went on upwardI came upon a pairOne dressed in blue and one in greyI couldn’t help but stareThey

After several days of pouring rain, the NorthStar team became concerned. “Would rain ruin the Butterfly Memorial for the NorthStar kids?” they wondered. Over 70 butterflies had arrived and were kept cool to prepare them for flight, but there seemed no end to the bad weather. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Saturday morning arrived – cool and lovely with patches of clouds in the sky. Families showed up, ate donuts, drank coffee and juice while they made memory jars. Each precious jar held a loved one’s picture. Fairy lights glowed as the children lovingly placed the finishing touches

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” – Scout Oath. The Scouts from troops 525 and 4117 who came to volunteer their service of folding flags on a Saturday morning were living out their oath. The United States Flags, which were flown over our nation’s capitol, will be presented to patients of St. Francis through our We Honor Veterans Program and their personal pinning ceremonies. It is inspiring

St. Francis Hospice Lifestage Care and St. Francis Hospice Foundation are both nonprofit organizations lead by volunteer boards. Each board member commits to serve up to nine years to help St. Francis best serve those who need end of life care. Some might call them the invisible heroes. They attend meetings and contribute their talents and financial support. Each member helps St. Francis look into the future and works to transform how we serve those in Brevard County even better. The St. Francis Hospice Board leadership is chaired by Mary Ann Alderman with Mike Ammen as the Vice Chair, and Tony

It was a cool morning at the Veterans Memorial Center on the Indian River as the horn sounded for the start of the first annual 2022 DASH in Life 5k on November 12. There were over 170 registrants and many cheering friends, family members and volunteers all along the beautiful course to provide encouragement and water. Some of the runners were Veterans. All were there supporting the We Honor Veterans program at St. Francis Hospice. Once the finish line was crossed by all, the awards were given out to the various age groups, then it was time for the race pinning

For the first time in several years, the staff at St. Francis Hospice was able to get together for some holiday fun, enjoying great food and white elephant gifts. A time to visit, laugh and thanks to Tammy Rolfe try their hand at fused glass. Senior leadership was on hand and they brought some of their favorite goodies to share with the staff. CEO Joe Killian was the cookie taster to find the winner of the best cookies. He certainly would like to put that in his job description moving forward. Throughout the year, the St. Francis family steps into the

There are those who find it difficult to discuss the purposes of hospice. For us, hospice is our every day. We consider it affirming to be a part of those last months and days. We know much can happen to create wonderful moments and to help people with personal wishes, closure, and putting their houses in order. We also know that the people who love them are also in need of our support, both during the time of hospice care and after the patient has passed. Grief comes in waves and in many forms. We are there for those moments and

Our commitments in life comes with purpose. At St. Francis Hospice, through our We Honor Veterans program we are deliberate in our yearly welcome home to our Vietnam Veterans. This commitment is to rectify and restore that which did not happen when our individual heroes returned home. During that politically charged time, Veterans suffered emotional and physical wounds on the battlefield, and then suffered rejection when they returned home. Our Welcome Home Celebration will be held later in the spring. If you are a Vietnam Veteran or family of a Veteran who served during that time we encourage you to attend

Every Veteran deserves a hero’s journey in end of life. St. Francis Reflection in pursuit of excellence has for the third year in a row, been certified with the Level V designation of the We Honor Veterans Program. 7% of the US population are Veterans 7.6% population of Florida are Veterans (third Highest behind California and Texas) 11% of Brevard County residents are Veterans 25% of SFH patients are Veterans We recognizing the unique needs of America’s Veterans and their families. Our team works mindfully to determine how to assess, guide, and serve Veterans toward a more peaceful conclusion to their