By Dorothy Meindok
The Post Newspaper Veterans Consultant
The Mission of SERVE “is to bring Gulf Coast area veterans groups and organizations together to combine resources and information to improve the lives of our military personnel and their families.”
Beginning in August of 2015 with six organizations, SERVE has grown to over 50 groups and organizations whose sole purpose is to improve the lives of those who served our country and their families. I like to think of them as a veteran’s assistance/chamber of commerce, although that’s not technically correct.
Guess what? They are right here, at home, working in Galveston County! You will be introduced to each organization over the next year via The Post’s Veterans’ Corner.
I had the pleasure to help a SERVE member organization on a worksite in Friendswood a few weeks ago. The SERVE member group that was rebuilding part of a veteran’s home is Coalition to Salute American Heroes. You can find them directly at SaluteHeroes.org. This organization helps meet urgent needs and provides some financial assistance as well for our county’s veterans and those that love them, among things such as peer support and employment mentoring.
On the day that I caught up with them, Juan Perez, USMC and Donny Daughenbaugh, USMC, both who engaged in the program and now pay it forward by leading and helping others do the same, were in the hot sun doing construction work for a brother in need. It was a fun afternoon and while carpentry isn’t my personal forte, they turned up the radio and put me to work and I was glad of it. After chatting more over chow time, I helped clean up some (we call it “sweepers” in the Navy) and said farewell. I left knowing that this group was trusted & verified. #veteranshelpingveterans.
On their website, you can see video testimonials of the veterans that have received their assistance. One that struck me was of a warrior that came back from being given a 1% chance to live after hitting 700 lbs of explosives speak about this group of community servants and their positive impact on his life in transitioning back & coming home.
It’s all there for us fellow veterans. Come and take it! ⚔️
Learn more & visit their websites:
SETexasHeroes.com and SaluteHeroes.org
Be true to yourself, Always-
Excelsior!* Dorothy. *More next week, so Stay Tuned!
Dorothy Meindok is the Veterans’ Consultant for The Post Newspaper. She served in the United States Navy and is currently a lawyer advocating for the rights of the nation’s veterans. Her column appears on Sundays.
