HOSPICE OF ST FRANCIS INC

In the last fiscal year, more than 82 volunteers from our community donated over 5,440 hours of time. The volunteers provided both direct patient support through visits, caregiver relief, transportation and pet therapy visits and administrative support for our full array of programs. Volunteers also donated hundreds of hand-made masks, greeting cards, knitted blankets, clothing protectors, comfort pillows and sensory or "fidget" blankets to enhance and uplift our patient's lives. (continued on schedule o)the volunteer program also provides special services for veterans. As an elite level five partner of we honor veterans, a collaborative program between the veteran's administration and the national hospice and palliative care organization, sfr volunteers performed veteran pinning ceremonies to honor and thank our patients who are veterans. In 2024, our specially trained military volunteers conducted over 138 pinning ceremonies for veterans and their families. We also served the needs of over 417 veterans through our community-based veteran outreach and partnerships with veteran service and support organizations. Veteran to veteran cafes have been established in many long term care facilities facilitated by sfr staff. In 2024, sfr offered a dynamic grief support program that was open to the public county-wide, regardless of whether hospice service was involved in the care of the deceased individual. The bereavement department provided support to over 2,623 bereaved families through individual or group sessions and support activities, as well as engaging in significant outreach through monthly mailings and phone calls. The bereavement team presented informational talks to various community organizations, including nursing facilities, churches, educational institutions and community gathering sites. Four memorial services were conducted at our offices to offer surviving loved ones a chance to honor and remember those patients cared for by sfr. Hundreds of family members, friends, community dignitaries, volunteers and sfr staff attended. The special needs of grieving children ages 4 to 18 were served by our north star for grieving children program which provides safe and caring peer support groups facilitated by master's level counselors and trained volunteers. This program is offered free of charge to any child in brevard county who has suffered a loss. The program has grown to over 175 children in brevard county. There are numerous activities, seasonal events and weekly support groups for children of all ages. In addition, north star staff provided educational workshops on child grief to brevard county school board employees, including teachers and counselors, and responded to school communities coping with the sudden loss of a teacher or student. Sfr is proud of the extensive scope of free bereavement services it offers, recognizing that dealing with grief is a common challenge impacting people of all ages and walks of life.sfr provides free, quality education for the community on such topics as advanced directives, understanding hospice benefits and palliative care, coping with caregiver stress, spiritual needs of the dying and their caregivers, and caring for loved ones at end of life. This education is provided by our experienced medical and professional staff at locations throughout the county, including senior centers, churches, businesses and veteran centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Free education on hospice and serving the needs of the terminally ill was also provided to first year nursing students in local colleges.a unique but equally important service provided by sfr is our pet pledge program, which provides education on advanced care planning for pets and assistance with rehoming a patient's pet if they are no longer able to manage their care. We are proud to carry on the tradition of our founder, emilie sasko, whose motto was "neighbor helping neighbor" as we uplift lives through free community services, community engagement in our mission and work, and staff volunteer efforts each and every day.