Washington Square honors its resident veterans
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WARREN – Washington Square Healthcare Center hosted an early Veterans Day event Friday afternoon to honor its resident veterans and provide them and community members with information they may need now or in the future.
Twenty-one vendors, including supportive service organizations, community resources and veteran organizations, were on hand to share information in a Veteran Resource Center format at the facility. The event was open to residents, families and the community.
The event began with a 21-gun salute by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), followed by a certificate of honor presented to all veterans in attendance.
Forty-three residents at Washington Square, six residents from Concord Caregiving Center of Hartford and four Washington Square employees were honored.
Community Outreach and Veteran Service Officer Charles Ciapala from the Trumbull County Veterans Service Commission and Morgen O’Brien, Director of Operations at Cornerstone Caregiving, handed out certificates, pins and coins to each veteran.
Melissa Burt, Washington Square Area Director of Business Development, said Washington Square Healthcare is the only VA-approved skilled nursing facility in Trumbull County, with more than half of its residents being veterans.
Lisa Ricciardi from Cornerstone Caregiving volunteered her time to provide haircuts to veterans attending the event. Bill Bryant of Warren was among the first veterans to visit Ricciardi for a haircut.
“I served in the Army and was in Germany for 17 months and in Vietnam for 10 months,” Bryant said.
Cherrie Ross received information from Home Instead, which provides in-home care. Ross is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which is the name given to the U.S. war in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. After receiving information from Home Instead, Molly, a therapy dog, visited with Ross. Molly was with Sanctuary Hospice of Canfield volunteer Cheryl Moran.
Washington Square resident and Army veteran Ray Miller stopped at the Medical House Calls information table where he picked up and examined four framed veteran pictures. The veterans are four of Melissa Chamber's relatives. Chambers is Medical House Calls’ director of sales and marketing.
Washington Square Healthcare Center staff members who are veterans include Joseph Bross, unit manager; Shanteen Smith, nurse; Doug Ferguson, maintenance director; and Jim Churan, administrator.
Vendors represented at Friday's Veteran Resource Center were Humana Medicare, Clear Captions, Traditions Hospice, Medical House Calls, Cornerstone Caregiving, Trumbull County Veterans Service Commission, Niles American Legion, Home Instead, Buckeye Hospice, Patriot at Home, Southern Care Hospice, Grace Hospice, Sanctuary Hospice, Akeso Hospice, Buckeye Pace and Harmony Hospice.
"We work with all the vendors here," Burt said.