November 11 is Veterans Day. This national holiday is dedicated to honoring American veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It is observed on this date because in 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month an armistice went into effect ending hostilities in “The Great War,” or “the war to end all wars,” as World War I was then known. Unfortunately, that was not our last war, nor the end of sacrifices made by many men and women in the service of our country. On Veterans Day, we honor them all.
Photo courtesy of the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles
SSI Veterans Day Parade 3
Schools and government offices are closed for the holiday, as are many businesses, so it’s a perfect opportunity for your family to show support for veterans in our community by attending the annual Veterans Day Parade on St. Simons Island. Organized by the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles, the parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and is immediately followed by a ceremony in Neptune Park. This year, there will be a speaker from Fort Stewart and World War II veterans will receive special recognition. Your support is greatly appreciated, but it’s also important to note that our local veterans need that support beyond Veterans Day.
Groundbreaking was held on the corner of G Street and MLK Jr. Boulevard in Brunswick for Golden Isles Veterans Village a year ago. The non-profit initiative and partnership with Nine Line Foundation and Rotary International District 6920 is building a village of at least 30 tiny homes for transitional housing of homeless veterans and a community center where they can receive physical and mental health support, educational classes, and job training. Students from Rolling Meadows High School and Buffalo Grove High School in Illinois and volunteers with the South Newport Baptist Church Mission Build here in Townsend, GA, have worked to complete wall and roofing components and assemble 20 of the tiny houses. Those houses will be able to be moved to their final location once underground utilities work is completed and concrete pads are poured for the homes. On site in Brunswick, the interiors of the homes will be completed, the component parts for an additional 10 ADA compliant tiny houses will be assembled, and the 30' x 60' community center will be built.
To complete the project and provide this safe and supportive environment for currently homeless veterans, Golden Isles Veterans Village still needs your support. They recently held a dinner at Halyards and auction to kick off their fundraising campaign and are reaching out to the community. Our veterans have sacrificed greatly to protect and preserve our precious freedom and way of life. For their service and devotion, they deserve a hand up when needed from those who can afford to give. By helping them become self-sufficient and self-sustaining, this enables them to escape the battlefield of homelessness and despair. If you would like to show your support in a lasting manner, you can purchase a brick (or multiple bricks) to pave the walkway in Golden Isles Veterans Village. Not only is the brick a lasting testament to the fact that you care about the project and those it serves, it can also be used to memorialize a loved one, or recognize an active duty or veteran friend or family member. Bricks can be purchased online at bricksrus.com/donorsite/givv. For more information about Golden Isles Veterans Village and ways that you can volunteer or donate to help complete this important community project, visit goldenislesveteransvillage.org.
To all of our veterans, thank you for your service. We appreciate you not just on Veterans Day, but every day.
