We are just five days away from the Veterans Raising Children Vision Health Fair, and the momentum in our community is incredible.
As we finalize our preparations, the theme that keeps coming to mind is: It takes a village to raise a village.
Building Trust and Community
I am pleased to announce our partnership with Schaumburg Township assisting in outreach and engaging our local veterans. The beautiful thing about the veteran community is that while they can initially be a challenge to engage, once you are in, you are treated as family.
Last week, I had the privilege of attending Schaumburg Township's Veteran Coffee Social to spread awareness and invite veterans to our health fair. The reception was so warm that they invited me to join their American Legion Post 1983 meeting that very same evening!
With Air Force Veteran, Rudy Hecker
A special thank you to Mission BBQ for providing a gift basket that we were able to raffle off at the meeting, before I joined the veterans for a pizza dinner at Rosati’s. It is these genuine moments of connection that make the mission so rewarding.
Treating the Whole Self
We understand that treating our community physically is just one piece of the puzzle. We believe in treating the whole self.
I want to extend a massive thank you to our clinical partners who are making the physical care at this event possible:
Midwestern University & Illinois College of Optometry: For providing our comprehensive vision examinations.
Waubonsee Community College: For providing critical medical screenings through their dedicated nursing students.
Versiti Blood Center: For rounding out our health offerings with the opportunity to donate and save lives.
In addition to vision and medical screenings, we are bringing together a coalition of vendors who truly have a heart for our veterans. Thank you to our veteran-focused nonprofits and businesses for your essential services:
Art By Allison
Bank of America
CapTel Outreach
Century 21 Dream Homes
Commercial Capital Consulting
Fifth-Third Bank
Help At Home
Hines Jr. Hospital Community Outreach
Home Instead
Honor Flight
Illinois College of Optometry
Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs
Midwestern University
My Angel Homecare
Rehab Maxx
Schaumburg Township
Senior Helpers
Taking Control Counseling
Versiti Blood Center
Veterans Legal Aid Society
Veterans Outreach of Illinois
Veterans Path to Hope
Volunteer Optometric Services in Humanity
Waubonsee Community College
Career and Wellness Speaker Series
To further support the "whole self," we have organized an incredible Career and Wellness Speaker Series inside the vendor expo. Special thanks to our subject matter experts for volunteering their time to educate, motivate, and inspire:
Jodi Weinberg (Rehab Maxx): Accessing Free Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy.
Diana Zarkha (Commercial Capital Partners): Funding Your Business & Gov't Contracting.
Allison Thurman (Art By Allison): The Positive Effects of Intentional Decorating on Mental Well-Being.
Diana Lakstutis, U.S. Army Veteran (Century 21 Dream Realty): Transitioning Military Skills to Business Success.
Megan Monti (Taking Control): Accessing Comprehensive Therapy Services Built for Veterans and Military Families.
Lastly, I am honored to host a special presentation highlighting FTD Ministry's dedication to our veterans, culminating in the live raffle of a Donner Acoustic Guitar!
We are so excited for Saturday. We know this is just the beginning, and we will only grow our health fair events greater as we continue to partner with more businesses and organizations across the Chicagoland area with a heart to serve those who served us.
See you on Saturday!
Warmly,
Founder, FTD Ministry
When you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can collaborate:
1. Explore the Vision @FTDMinistry.org: Don't just read it, see it in action. Discover how our youth program Exhale open mic is turning our Kids into Creators.
2. Be a Messenger: There is a veteran in your circle who needs support. Forward our Health Fair to your network and turn a single share into a blessing.
3. Serve Those Who Served: We need friendly faces on Feb 28th! Join us on the front lines as we provide vision and medical screenings supporting military families.