Military veterans group sees value in going ‘local’
A military veteran gives a thumbs up from the cockpit of an Army helicopter at the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.
Honoring America’s Veterans, a local nonprofit that organizes the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade (taking place Nov. 11 this year), is seeing its role and presence increase.
Honoring America’s Veterans Executive Director Paula Pedene
Paula Pedene, a Navy veteran and executive director, said she and her team of volunteers are being asked to take on coordinating additional events as other veterans decide it’s time to turn over the reins.
“As our veterans age, we’re trying to bridge that gap and continue to honor and recognize and thank our veterans,” she said.
A Local First Arizona member, Honoring America’s Veterans is run by people who understand the challenges faced by those who have served, she said, and host events and programs to recognize those sacrifices.
“What we try to do is make people aware of the fact that we have 500,000 veterans in Maricopa County and 600,000 across the state. And they all have family members,” Pedene said. “You’re talking a few million people affected by the military service those people have given.”
A diverse cross-section of the military population serves on the organization’s board, offering unique perspectives from serving in Vietnam, the Cold War, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans Day Parade includes everyone from teens to centenarians
Red Cross volunteer Betty Grenig participated in the 2022 Veterans Day Parade at 101
Pedene has had a hand in the Veterans Day Parade since its inception in 1997 when she was public affairs officer for the Phoenix VA Health Care System. But after the VA quit sponsoring the event, Honoring America’s Veterans took over, Pedene said.
The parade is more than a one-day event. It includes a grand marshal competition, which is accepting nominations through July 14, and a high-school essay competition, which can be entered until Sept. 20.
9th Grader Ryann Terrell won the 2022 Veterans Day essay contest
Last year, the parade featured a 101-year-old American Red Cross volunteer and a Chandler ninth-grader who won the essay contest by writing about “liberty, honor, and sacrifice.”
In addition to the parade, the organization coordinates Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Day ceremonies.
Expanding veterans services with support from Local First
New opportunities are on the horizon, Pedene said, including a chance to work with grantwriters at the Arizona Economic Recovery Center — a Local First initiative — with hopes of securing funding for new or expanded programming.
The individualized support is one of the reasons Honoring America’s Veterans joined Local First.
Pedene said the veterans charity has made multiple attempts on its own to secure grant funding but hasn’t had success, so she looks forward to being able to access expert support.
Since launching in 2021, the Arizona Economic Recovery Center has helped more than 200 tribes, cities and charitable organizations in every corner of the state secure nearly $32 million for vital community projects, many of which would never have been funded without the assistance. The center has spent roughly $400,000 on grant writers and consultants, leading to a whopping 78X return on investment.
“The things they do, it’s amazing,” Pedene said of Local First. “We only joined three months ago.”
In that short time, Pedene said she has already attended a Local First-supported social media class and took advantage of training opportunities that allowed her to connect with others in the community to discuss new opportunities that could benefit the organization.
Growing a community that values veterans
“Honoring America’s Veterans is growing as more and more people see the work we do,” Pedene said. “With the aging veteran population, the people who have been doing these events for years are Vietnam-era veterans and they’re getting older so they need to move this over to younger people.”
Regardless of the changing demographics of veterans, Pedene said one thing has remained constant.
“The community understands the value and importance of our nation’s veterans,” she said. “Everybody understands the importance of freedom.”
Visit Honoring America’s Veterans at honoringamericasveterans.org.
Learn about free grant-writing services offered by the Arizona Economic Recovery Center at localfirstaz.com/economic-recovery-center.
