WYOMING, Mich. — Spring is the season of new beginnings, so perhaps it's appropriate that an April afternoon is the time around a dozen military veterans gathered around a table at Marge's Donut Den on 28th Street for the first time.
Reggie Howard welcomed everyone to the first meeting of a new organization called Hero's Corner. It's an opportunity he's looked forward to offering his fellow veteran for a long time.
"They need a place to feel at home. If they want to come in and prop their feet up and listen to music or watch a movie, that's the type of atmosphere that I want veterans to be able to feel," said Howard, who served in the Navy from 1980 to 1991.
Howard has been advocating for Hero's Corner at recent Grand Rapids City Commission meetings. He envisions a drop-in center where veterans can come and enjoy fellowship, and activities that promote mental health like board games, arts and crafts, and reading.
One of the things that will set Hero's Corner apart from other organizations, Howard says, is that veterans won't have to make an appointment to stop by.
"They'll be able to get the unity, the support, and the camaraderie of other veterans unconditionally, and unscheduled, and undocumented," he said.
"If the house are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., they can walk in at 8 o'clock and they don't have to leave until 8 o'clock when the doors close and not have to worry about being put out."
Hero's Corner will be open to any veteran regardless of how long they served, as long as they weren't dishonorably discharged. It will be a safe space for veterans even if they're going through PTSD, mental illness, addiction, or any other type of issue.
"You belong. You belong at Hero's Corner. You belong with us. We don't want to take away from what someone has done. We want to motivate them, but we also want to uplift them and we want to honor them," said Shontaze Jones who joined the Army in 2004 and was medically, honorably discharged.
The founders of Hero's Corner are well-connected and they want to use their knowledge of resources available to veterans to help their "battle buddies" who are going through difficult situations.
"Veterans are sleeping in cubby holes. Veterans are in their apartments isolated. Veterans are dying alone," Howard said.
"If they come here hurting, if we can’t comfort them here, we know where to take them. We're not saying that we can do it all here. But we know how to get you help outside these doors."
For now, Hero's Corner is meeting every Thursday at Marge's Donut Den from 2 to 6 p.m. However, they're also looking for a place to call their own. They're accepting monetary donations to make that happen. They're also looking for board games for veterans to play. If you'd like to help, you can call 616-328-3812 or email Heroscorner1@gmail.com.
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