From left, Richard Winegarden, Darryl Mullins and Larry Butler putting together survival packs Thursday, Sept. 26, at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1925 in Seymour for veterans attending the Wounded Warrior Hunt.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Larry Butler puts together a survival pack Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1925 in Seymour for a veteran attending the upcoming Wounded Warrior Hunt.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Survival packs, 15 altogether, for the Wounded Warrior Hunt on Oct. 17 that were put together by Vet 2 Vet members Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1925. Packs include one Air Force, one Navy, three Marines and the rest Army.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Example of a dinner donated to a veteran to be prepared for Thanksgiving.
Submitted photo
North Vernon Vet 2 Vet hosts events year-round to support their efforts that help local veterans by raising awareness of their post-traumatic stress disorder and other common struggles.
With the Wounded Warrior Hunt on its way, some of the Vet 2 Vet members gathered Thursday, Sept. 26, at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1925 in Seymour to put together the survival packs necessary for the excursion.
Survival packs, funded by their fundraising efforts and donations, include a shirt, hat and backpack with the hunter’s branch of service, hunting vest, camping stoves, fire started, tumbler, scent killer, wind detecting powder, deer estrus, compass and more.
The Wounded Warrior Hunt’s goal is to bring veterans together to participate in an activity that brings them back to a sense of normalcy with others that understand where they’re coming from without having to explain themselves. As all of their veteran programs aim to do, they want to reach veterans and get them out of their house.
“The guys who have been to war rarely want to share their memories,” Bob Staats, a member of Vet 2 Vet, of their house. said.
While the donation period to benefit the Wounded Warrior Hunt has ended, Vet 2 Vet is always looking for help, especially as Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving approaches.
For this event, meals are put together that veterans get to prepare and cook with their loved ones to enjoy on Thanksgiving.
Last year, Vet 2 Vet supplied 150 families with dinners, which include a turkey or ham along with side dishes and dessert. This year, they are aiming to bless 200 families, which is no easy task alone.
The bigger picture behind this mission is beyond just feeding people. Willie Steele with Vet 2 Vet said the dinners don’t come premade, to encourage the veterans to get up and get involved in the process of preparing and cooking the meal. They have to wait for the meat to thaw and then, alongside their family and friends, they can work together to make something delicious that they can all enjoy on a day centered around giving thanks.
Their next fundraising event, which will fund the Thanksgiving dinners, is the Warrior Blessing Silent Auction from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, at VFW Post 1925.
To participate in the silent auction, text Staats at 812-521-4685 to preregister. Items that will be bid on include a snow blower, grill, air compressor, bike, gift certificate worth $100 and a soft top gazebo.
Vet 2 Vet also sells merchandise and food in front of the Walmart Supercenter in Seymour. While a schedule isn’t set in stone, the group is planning on utilizing the first Saturday of the month for future events.
Steele said that organizations like this matter because not only do veterans deserve a place to relate and converse with like minded individuals, but they also need to connect with the community that they have served.
“It’s important for people to take the time to know the vets in their community […],” Staats said. “Identify the vets and let them know they’re not alone.”
For information, visit NorthVernonVet2Vet.org or contact Willie Steele by calling or texting 812-292-0008 or email [email protected].