Community Hospice & Palliative Care Hosts Tree of Life and Candlelight Service of Remembrance in St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – The annual Tree of Life and Candlelight Services of Remembrance, hosted by Community Hospice & Palliative Care, honors the memory of loved ones lost in a beautiful, inspiring program of music and reflection.

This free event is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, December 8, at the Stephen R. Chapman Family Community Campus in St. Augustine from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring a photo of their loved one to display on the memory table. The campus will be adorned with lights and evergreen trees decorated in ivory ribbons personalized with the names of loved ones. Anyone in the community who has experienced a loss, regardless of if they received care from Community Hospice, can honor their loved one.

“During the holidays, we know that the memory of our loved ones, and the grief and sadness we feel because they are not with us, can make feelings about our loss especially strong or difficult to deal with,” said Susan Ponder-Stansel, President and CEO of Alivia Care, Inc. “The Tree of Life and the memorial service that goes along with it, began as a way for us to invite all those in the community who want to remember a loved one to come together for an evening of thankfulness for the lives of those we loved, comfort, and support. The ribbons and ornaments, as well as the family pictures many of those who attend bring with them, are visible reminders that our loved ones were with us and that their memory will never be forgotten. This year, with all that we have lived through during the pandemic, we especially want to invite anyone in our community, no matter when then their loved one passed, to join us on the beautiful campus of the Chapman Center.”

Ribbons and ornaments to honor the memory of loved ones are available for purchase, but no purchase is required to attend the service.  If you would like to purchase a ribbon or ornament to be displayed on the trees for the service, please call 904.886.3883 or visit TOL.CommunityHospice.com by November 28. Funds raised through the purchase of ornaments and ribbons for the Tree of Life support the programs and services provided by Community Hospice.

About Community Hospice & Palliative Care
Established in 1979, Community Hospice & Palliative Care is an innovative national leader in palliative and hospice care, as well as providing programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. During its 42-year history, through the support of more than 1,000 employees and 1,000 volunteers, the organization helps approximately 1,600 patients per day to live better with advanced illness – at home, in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in hospitals and at its 10 inpatient care centers. No one is ever denied care due to an inability to pay. To learn more about the support and services of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, visit CommunityHospice.com

About the Foundation
The Community Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation is dedicated to advancing philanthropy to enable Community Hospice & Palliative Care to fulfill its mission of being the compassionate guide for end-of-life care in the communities we serve. Funds raised by the Foundation through memorial giving, planned and major gifts, and events support unfunded patient care services and community benefit programs for those facing advanced illness and grief. To learn more, visit Foundation.CommunityHospice.com