The idea came from a grandma, who casually mentioned to me, “you know, my grandbabies have never been to the zoo…” This grandmother, an Air Force veteran, resides in one of our apartment properties with her daughter and her grandchildren. After hearing this and sharing it with the Veteran Engagement Committee, we knew that finding a way to provide a zoo experience for the families was our mission in 2024.

We are so glad Valerie’s grandchildren (pictured here) had the chance to come to the zoo!

On June 15, we made this dream a reality for 13 families and 52 individuals! Many of the children were experiencing the zoo for the first time, including that sweet grandmother’s grandkids!

The project would never have taken place without some amazing individuals and donations! Thank you, Tammie and Matthew Hanes and Carrington Charitable Foundation. Through Tammie, we were awarded a grant from Carrington to provide tickets and parking for the families. Tammie and her son, Matthew, joined us at the zoo and helped by transporting coolers, passing out snack bags, and serving lunches to the families.

“As a volunteer, I had the opportunity to step back and look at the group as a whole.  What I saw was children with joy on their faces the entire time,” Tammie said. “But most of all I saw families that would have never had this opportunity without the hard work of the HVAF Engagement Committee. I was proud to be a small part of bringing such joy to our veterans and their families.”

In addition, we received financial donations from the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 34 and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 64. Hoagies and Hops donated 60 hoagies and cookies for lunch and LabCorp donated 60 snack bags filled with all kinds of goodies. The weather was perfect, and the day was filled with children in wonder at seeing their favorite animals!

Best of all, the day gave the families a chance to escape from the daily challenges of life and bond together! One family is getting ready to move into one of our properties and is currently living in a hotel that HVAF’s case managers set up for them. They wanted to attend the zoo day and get a break from the hotel. While we provided transportation, they did not have car seats for their two children. HVAF case managers were able to find car seats from friends the night before the event and were able to pick up the family from the hotel. The day was a wonderful way to welcome the family to the Veteran Engagement Committee and to show the passion and heart HVAF staff has for our families!

The committee has many more events coming up this year and if you are interested in joining us, whether volunteering or donating, we would love to have you! The Veteran Engagement Committee is composed of fifteen HVAF staff members who merely want to provide experiences for our veterans and their families that they otherwise would not be able to do. We hope to facilitate a sense of connection and support. If you are interested in supporting us and our mission, please contact me (Andrea Carlile): acarlile@hvaf.org or 765-425-3366.