As a nation, we set aside one day each year to honor all who have served our country in the armed forces. This Veterans Day, we also pause to shine a spotlight on community agency partners who serve our veterans every day of the year by helping veterans navigate the challenges of civilian life.
An estimated 1 in 9 working-age veterans live in food insecure households, meaning they are making tough choices between buying food and paying for other basic necessities, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. The rate of food insecurity is higher among disabled, female, and unemployed veterans.
Feeding America West Michigan is proud to partner with several organizations that serve our veterans with vital food resources, social connection, and referrals for health and housing resources all year long. Among those agencies is Hero’s & SHero’s Corner Grand Rapids, a mainstay for local veterans. The center provides a place where veterans can feel welcome, build community, and heal from trauma. Food is a central tool for fostering stability and deep bonds.
“When you sit down and break bread with someone, that’s community in action,” said Rosemary Maciejewski, kitchen coordinator. “You learn so much about the other person, as well as yourself, through that experience.”
The agency serves lunch every weekday to 20–60 individuals. The agency also offers free bread every Tuesday after 12 p.m., thanks to donations from Bimbo Bakeries USA. In addition, donations from Chick-fil-A make Free Chicken Thursday’s possible each week from 12–6 p.m. And through the fall, the agency takes things up a notch on Sunday afternoons for Detroit Lions watch parties.
“We depend on donations and it’s always interesting to see what I can come up with from what we have been gifted. The hardest items to get are our proteins and our fresh produce, but that doesn’t stop us from being able to provide,” Rosemary said. “We manage this by portioning each meal carefully. Over time, I have learned to anticipate demand and follow a simple rule: no second servings until 2:00 p.m., when we know what remains. We also keep backup options ready. If a dish runs out, we can serve peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese.”
Hero’s & SHero’s Corner also serves female veterans with a meal every Monday evening. The meals provide a time for women to share their experiences, build friendships and camaraderie.
Kelly Stanley is a United States Air Force veteran and mother of a current enlistee in the Air Force. For her family, financial stability after military service was a journey with several twists and turns created by divorce and the search for employment after many years spent at home raising children.
Kelly works full time and owns a home, but there are still challenges that she experiences including the rising grocery prices, increasing utility bills and other everyday expenses. She turns to Hero’s and SHero’s Corner and Feeding America West Michigan to help her supplement her household food needs.
Kelly first became acquainted with the organization through founder Reggie Howard, whom she met through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since then, she has watched the organization grow, including the development of SHero’s Corner. Through its social activities, volunteer opportunities and other programming, the agency has provided Kelly with a sense of camaraderie.
“I’m a people person, so I’m always loving to come and go do social activities,” she said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie here.”
Kelly has reached the point of stability that she gives back to the center with gifts of time. She believes the same stability is possible for many more veterans when they can readily get the support they need. That is why she believes supporting veterans must extend beyond expressions of gratitude and recognition, particularly as many continue to navigate challenges related to housing, transportation, employment, and access to food.
For Kelly, the best way community members can celebrate and honor veterans is to take the time to understand veterans’ individual circumstances, identify their needs, and help connect them with appropriate resources.
“We’ve got to keep recognizing who they are, not just on one holiday,” she said. “Get to know them in a personal way. That’s a big aspect.”
Ray King, a U.S. Army veteran, volunteer at Hero’s & SHero’s Corner, and president of the Kent County Veteran Action Board, has dedicated much of his life to community service. After leaving the military in 1979, King settled in Grand Rapids, where he continued serving his community through neighborhood organizing and other outreach efforts.
Many veterans struggle for decades with untreated physical and psychological wounds, often without realizing they were entitled to benefits and support, he said. He said that “particularly for veterans of color who served during the 1970s, accessing those benefits was not always easy.”
Today, through the Veteran Action Board, King helps connect veterans experiencing housing instability, food insecurity, and other challenges with resources and assigning advocates to help veterans navigate the process. The board works to ensure no one gets lost in the system. Ray emphasizes that the goal should be to walk alongside veterans and allow them to determine what they need while helping them access the support to move forward.
“We just ask, what do you want? And we come alongside of them to help them accomplish that,” King said.
Happy Veterans Day. On behalf of Feeding America West Michigan, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for your service, courage, and sacrifice. Thank you for protecting our freedoms.