Support Local Veterans - Be Hungry For Change!

On Veteran’s Day, Thursday, November 11, two local non-profits – CareConnect and Veterans Helping Veterans Now – are teaming up with 20 local restaurants for “Hungry For Change.” This fun event is simple – eat at a participating restaurant and a portion of your meal will be donated to support veterans in Boulder County!

There are at least 20,000 veterans in Boulder County facing a multitude of hardships. “Homelessness, unemployment rates, domestic violence incidents, divorce rates and rates of substance abuse continue to increase and be higher for veterans than for their non-military counterparts,” says Judy Nogg, Co-Executive Director of Veterans Helping Veterans Now (VHV Now). “Also, the suicide rate among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is four times higher than the general public; with the increasing number of returning veterans, the programs provided by VHV and CareConnect will be critical to the health and safety of our veterans,” says Nogg.

CareConnect promotes the security, comfort and independence of seniors and adults with disabilities; many CareConnect clients, as well as their spouses, are veterans of Vietnam, Korea, and WWII. Services include: medical transportation, grocery shopping and delivery service, and minor home repairs. CareConnect and VHV Now collaborate to make sure veterans are getting the rides they need to go to the VA for appointments.

The mission of Veterans Helping Veterans Now is to build healthier lives for veterans and their families, reaching out to those who would not be reached, honoring all that served. VHV Now has developed diverse programs to meet the unmet needs of veterans in the community, including: therapist facilitated support groups, veteran volunteer support services, individualized services and referrals, and free community talks on issues concerning veterans.

Hungry For Change participating restaurants include: Kho’s Asian Bistro, Sakura Japanese Cuisine, Walnut Café, South Side Walnut Café, The Sink, Old Louisville Inn, Pioneer Inn, Nepal Cuisine, Leenie’s Southern Café (Longmont), Leenie’s Southern Café (Lafayette), KT’s BBQ (13th St.), KT’s BBQ (Arapahoe Rd.), Pinocchios (Longmont), Bacco Trattoria and Mozzarella Bar, The Blue Parrot Restaurant, Connor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub, Larkburger, Casa Alvarez, and Restaurant 4580.

For more information on Hungry For Change please visit www.careconnectbc.org and click on “News-Upcoming Events;”