BEAUMONT, Texas — On Thursday Southeast Texas Veterans 4 Veterans was awarded a $5,000 grant from TEGNA Broadcasting and 12News.
The nonprofit's mission is to be a reference point to all veterans in the community and assist them in achieving their goals reminding them they have a purpose and are not alone.
Representatives and volunteers with V4V gathered at the Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission to accept the award.
12News was there to hand them the check and there was excitement across the board for the vets and volunteers.
V4V Vice President Bruce Hamilton says their mission to his fellow veterans started when they stepped up to answer their call to service.
"These funds, along with the others that have been donated, will go towards continuing our mission to helping veterans," Hamilton said.
In 2017, veterans like Hamilton became inspired to get Southeast Texas vets the help they deserve.
"V4V actually got started through a group of veterans who were meeting for the Hinchee House project. We had been meeting for several times and then we finally decided to get together and form a group that would be veterans helping veterans," said Hamilton.
They started helping by hosting town halls, stand down events and even picnics.
Though not a veteran, Bonnie Brooks' military upbringing has instilled her tireless devotion to the veteran community.
"Every family with somebody in the military is actually serving," said Brooks.
Brooks says outreach is the key to getting help for those who sacrificed so much.
"Veterans who need assistance sometimes cannot automatically access the veterans' organizations because they don't know what the organizations can or will do," Brooks said. "Nobody does it alone. This is a community effort."
It takes community effort to bring better community care.
"I'm blessed to be able to do what I do," said V4V President Damian Bennett.
Bennett says he is one of countless Southeast Texas veterans negatively impacted by the lack of community care here. He says losing access to providers over the years is a heavy burden on the vets.
"Until we have these blunt and honest conversations, these hurtful conversations, nothing's going to change not just within the VA, but in our nation period," Bennett said.
He says the next Southeast Texas Stand Down is Friday, August 2 at the Jasper County Court Annex.