September 9, 2026, Cambria Hotel, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

 Nurses & Neighbors will co-host Lunch with a Purpose on September 9 at the Cambria Hotel in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, featuring speaker retired U.S. Army Captain, Vietnam War combat nurse Rhona Prescott and a special focus on our Delaware 250 theme: mobility, freedom, and independence. 

 About Rhona Prescott

Many readers have been deeply moved by Kristin Hannah’s bestselling novel The Women, which brought renewed attention to the courage, sacrifice, and often-overlooked service of women who served as nurses during the Vietnam War.

At our Lunch with a Purpose, we are honored to welcome someone who did not just read that story — she lived it.

Rhona Marie Knox Prescott is a retired U.S. Army Captain, Vietnam War combat nurse, licensed clinical social worker, veterans’ advocate, author, playwright, and longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness.

Rhona served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from 1961 to 1968 and served in Vietnam during some of the most intense years of the war. As an operating room nurse and acting chief nurse, she cared for soldiers with devastating wounds, including brain injuries, chest wounds, and battlefield trauma. She received wounded soldiers directly from Dustoff medical helicopters and served in military hospitals where every decision could affect whether someone survived, healed, walked again, or returned home.

After her military service, Rhona continued her life of service as a clinical social worker, supporting veterans and others living with trauma. She also became a strong advocate for people experiencing homelessness, helping to establish shelter and support for people without stable housing.

Rhona has also used writing and theater to bear witness to the human cost of war. Her wartime experiences helped inspire short stories in Another Kind of War Story and an off-Broadway play that gave voice to the experiences of Army nurses, wounded soldiers, trauma, grief, survival, and healing.

Rhona’s connection to Nurses & Neighbors is personal. She has been part of Nurses & Neighbors' 25for80 transportation program, supported by an AARP Community Challenge grant, and she understands firsthand why transportation matters. Through her Franciscan community’s generosity, Nurses & Neighbors has also been able to provide bus tickets for people experiencing homelessness who come to their nurse clinic at the Community Resource Center in Rehoboth Beach — helping them reach care, food, medicine, shelter, and essential services.

Funds raised will support our health & mobility work, including transportation assistance, volunteer support, health education, and community outreach for older adults, people with disabilities, and underserved neighbors.