Veterans Help Group in the Community

Written by:  Bobbi Boudi, Director of Community Outreach and Amy McArdle & Caroline Temple, Senior Advocates

This year has been a remarkable one for Veterans Help Group as we expanded our mission of service by giving back to the community in powerful and meaningful ways. Through a variety of projects, we not only supported Veterans but also strengthened our team’s commitment to service.  

Highlights From Our Year

Here are some highlights of the community projects we participated in and donated to in 2024: 

Partnered

We partnered with The Medal of Honor Center for Leadership to help sponsor a dinner on the USS Yorktown to raise awareness and funds for the Leadership Training Center that is being built. This Training Center will provide a transformative experience to visitors to highlight the values-based leadership education based on the Medal of Honor values. We also sponsored a panel event during the Army v. Navy football weekend on this matter. More on this can be found when you click here.

Sponsored

We sponsored and helped launch the “No Soldier Walks Alone” campaign this summer with Soldier’s Angels. This was a daily walking challenge of 10,000 steps a day aimed at raising awareness and funds to ensure no soldier has to walk their own personal journey alone.  Learn more here.

Hosted

We hosted our annual Harvest for Heroes campaign. With this event we collected and handed out Thanksgiving meal kits to veterans in the community and donated any remaining food to local food pantries. This event also had 18 veteran friendly organizations participating to give information about their organizations to those in attendance.  In total, approximately 400 people were served!  

Trained

Members of our VHG team became certified with The Fire Watch. The Fire Watch is an organization that fights to end veteran suicide. Our members became trained to identify the warning signs of veterans in crisis and to direct those veterans to the help they need. This certification marks VHG as a Veteran Safe Place. More information can be found when you click here.

Donated

We donated to the Warrior Canine Connection – This donation was a match to any gifts WCC received up to $7,500. We helped #UnleashGenerosity with this organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model allowing Veterans to help train service dogs. This models helps Veterans recover from the stress of combat and reconnect with their families, communities, and life.

Gave Back

Giving back to our local community is important to our organization. VHG sponsored and participated in a home build with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties. 

Military Appreciation

Finally, we helped sponsor the Clearwater Threshers Veteran and Military Appreciation Night. Our donation supported complimentary tickets for all veterans, active military, and reservist to attend the game.   

Grateful To Help In The Community We Love

As we reflect on the success of these initiatives and partnerships, we are filled with pride and gratitude for everyone who volunteered, donated, or supported our efforts. In 2025, we plan to expand our reach even further, with other partnerships and projects.  

Thank you to all who helped made 2024 an unforgettable year of service. Together, we continue to prove that the spirit of camaraderie and commitment knows no bounds. 

If you are an organization that would like to learn more about partnering with VHG please contact our Director of Community Outreach Bobbi Boudi at bboudi@veteranshelpgroup.com.