veterans Archives

Each November, we honor those who have served our country – and the families who stand beside them. At TRU Community Care, that commitment is year-round. It lives in the care we provide, the stories we listen to, and the partnerships that make it possible. As a Level 5 We Honor Veterans partner, TRU provides hospice, palliative, and PACE services grounded in comfort, dignity, and respect. Our team receives annual training in military culture to ensure that every Veteran receives care informed by their unique experiences and needs.

To every Veteran and family member we’ve had the privilege to serve – we recognize your service, acknowledge your courage, and honor your story.

Learn more about our Veteran-focused care – https://www.trucare.org/wehonorveterans/ and read below for highlights from the past month.

Gratitude for Our Veteran Program Supporters

We are deeply grateful to the donors who strengthen TRU’s Veteran work. Kelly and Gregg Rogers recently made a generous gift in support of our program – Kelly is a former TRU board member, Gregg is a Veteran, and both are steadfast champions of Veteran-informed care. We also received a $2,500 grant from Community Foundation Boulder County’s Veterans Fund in 2025 that was just renewed at the $2,000 level for 2026. This grant supports programs that enhance the lives of Veterans and their families, builds community around and among Veterans, fosters education and dialogue, and provides resources for organizations serving the Veteran community. TRU is honored to support our Veteran population with such care, and we are so thankful to those who help us provide this specialized service.

Thank you, Kelly and Gregg, and thank you, Community Foundation Boulder County!

Listening First – Larry Sturgeon’s Story

The best way to honor a Veteran is to listen to a Veteran. TRU volunteer and Vietnam-era Veteran Larry Sturgeon recently shared his story for the VA’s Remembering Our Veterans program. We invite you to take some time to listen and reflect on any portion of Larry’s story.

Watch: Larry Sturgeon, Remembering Our Veterans

Initiate a conversation with a Veteran in your life today. If you’re not sure where to start, try gentle prompts like: Which branch did you serve in? What was your military occupational specialty? What was boot camp like? How did service shape your life?

Recent Events: Showing Up for Our Veteran Community

Veteran Recognition Events Throughout the Month

Standing up front are TRU Veteran volunteers, right to left, Tina Garcia, Army Veteran, Brooke Carter, Air Force Veteran, and Larry Sturgeon, Vietnam Era Army Veteran and Jen Zadell, offering special music.

TRU hosts meaningful military recognition events and Vet-to-Vet Cafés designed to honor and connect with Veterans in the community. These gatherings include a personalized certificate created by a dedicated TRU Veteran volunteer, acknowledging each Veteran’s service and military branch. Veterans are also presented with a star from a retired United States Flag, a flag pin, and when applicable, a special Vietnam Era Veteran beaded pin.

TRU Veteran volunteers acknowledge each resident’s service by personally presenting them with a certificate, a star from a retired flag, and a pin. The ceremony includes patriotic music, beginning with The Star-Spangled Banner and concluding with God Bless America, as well as a military medley during which Veterans raise their hand if they recognize their branch. It is a privilege to witness the pride and dignity on their faces as they are honored.

The formal recognition is typically followed by a simple reception with sweet and salty treats, providing space for Veterans to share stories and connect. Depending on the size of the gathering, ceremonies and receptions may blend together, allowing everyone in the room to introduce themselves and share something about their military experience. These events are a cherished opportunity for TRU Community Care to acknowledge service, celebrate camaraderie, and foster meaningful connections among Veterans.

Recent Events included:

October 22 – Hover Greenhouses Military Recognition Event and Reception
November 6 – Veteran Lunch and Military Recognition at Life Care Center Longmont
November 10 – Veteran Pinning Ceremony and Vet-to-Vet Café at Adara Living
November 12 – TRU PACE Veteran Pinning Ceremony

October 30 – Longmont Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair

TRU joined more than thirty-five partners at the Longmont Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair – a gathering designed to support Veterans and loved ones, especially those who are under resourced. Attendees connected with nonprofit agencies and VA representatives, received meals and cold-weather gear, accessed practical services like haircuts and massages, and got guidance on housing, employment, and VA benefits.

TRU provided advance care planning tools through The Conversation Project – with a volunteer notary and lawyer on site – and shared resources about PACE, Grief Services, hospice, and palliative care. We also offered small care items and a keepsake star cut from a respectfully retired U.S. flag, accompanied by a brief note inviting Veterans to carry it as a reminder that their service is seen and not forgotten.

More than any handout, the most meaningful moments were the conversations. Many Veterans told us they had never received a star before – the pride and dignity on their faces said everything. Events like this remind us that honoring Veterans is about more than providing resources – it is also about connection, presence, and gratitude.

November 5 – Annual Veterans Education for TRU Clinical Staff

Each year our clinicians complete Veteran-specific education to deepen understanding of military culture, moral injury, PTSD, suicide awareness in Veterans, Veteran psychosocial issues at end of life, and best practices for goals-of-care conversations. TRU staff recently participated in a Lunch and Learn featuring the PsychArmor education Caring for Veterans Through the End of Life for Healthcare Providers. The presentation, led by Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar – Founder and CEO of In Their Honor, Army Veteran, and End-of-Life Doula Educator – was viewed together by staff both virtually and in person. TRU provided lunch for on-site participants as we learned about the specific needs of Veterans and their families, and how a patient’s military service may influence their end-of-life care. The training included case studies and interviews with social workers, chaplains, and nurses in the field. The session concluded with a discussion and review of TRU’s own Veteran-specific care plans.

November 11 – Longmont Veterans Day Parade

On Veterans Day, TRU staff, volunteers, family, and friends walked together in the Longmont Veterans Day Parade – a joyful, visible tribute to those who served. It was a beautiful day, and our small but mighty crew waved flags, shared treats, and offered thanks along the route.

How TRU Serves Veterans and Families

Veterans and military-connected families can face unique health and emotional challenges. TRU’s care teams meet those needs with comfort, dignity, and respect – wherever home may be – and whichever TRU program may be serving them. TRU’s We Honor Veterans program includes pinning ceremonies, military history reviews, informed care planning, and staff education focused on the Veteran experience.

Our services include:

Hospice – Expert symptom management and whole-family support
Palliative Care – Relief from symptoms and stress at any stage of serious illness
PACE – All-inclusive care for eligible older adults to live safely at home
Grief Services – Individual and group support for adults and children, with military-informed options when helpful
Dementia Support through the GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) program
Memory Care at Landmark for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia
The Conversation Project to foster meaningful and effective conversations about advance care planning and healthcare wishes

Need help navigating options? Call us at 303-449-7740 or visit trucare.org.

Supporting Veterans Through TRU Thrift Shop

TRU Thrift Shop honors Veterans year-round with 20% off every day – and this November, we circulated special $10 Veteran coupons to say thank you. Every purchase supports TRU’s mission to provide compassionate care across our community.

Visit us: trucare.org/truthriftshop

Simple Ways to Honor Veterans – Today and Every Day

Listen first – Ask open questions and follow the Veteran’s lead
Acknowledge service – Pair recognition of their service with curiosity and respect
Support caregivers – Offer practical help to spouses, partners, and family members
Connect to resources – Share TRU programs and local VA support
Give back – Volunteer at TRU or make a gift in honor of a Veteran

Take Action

Watch Larry’s story
Learn about We Honor Veterans at TRU
Are you a Veteran? Become a Veteran Volunteer with TRU and make an important connection with Veterans in our care and in our community.

Americans across the country celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, a special day to salute the men and women who have bravely served our country in the military.

These fellow Americans have made profound sacrifices in defense of freedom and they deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Honoring our nation’s Veterans includes supporting them throughout their entire lives, especially at the end.

As our nation marks Veterans Day, TRU Community Care deepens our commitment to increase Veterans’ access to the compassionate, high quality care available from the nation’s hospice and palliative care providers. One of the ways we’re making this happen is through our active involvement with We Honor Veterans, an innovative program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization that was created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

There is something else that’s important for every American to do – and that is to say, “thank you” to our country’s Veterans. Not just on November 11 but all year long.

Ask your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others in your community whether they have served in the military (you may be surprised how many have)—and thank those who have served for their sacrifice.

It surprises many Americans to learn that every day, 1,800 Veterans die. That’s more than 680,000 Veterans every year – or 25 percent of all the people who die in this country annually.

If you know a Veteran who is in need of the special care hospice brings to people facing serious and life-limiting illness, please reach out and help them learn more about care options by visiting trucare.org.

To all of our nation’s Veterans, thank you.

Honoring Veterans and Military Families