PITTSBURG, Kan. — Abigail Vincent, a volunteer with the children’s ministry at First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, got to thinking about community events and what to do for the children and families within that community, and she began to zero in on a very specific community within the larger one — U.S. military veterans.

Vincent is planning a family fun day for service members, veterans, and their families. There will be games, food, guest speakers, and a silent auction. Guest speakers will focus on veteran-related issues and discuss the opportunities around the area for veterans. Material donations will be part of the silent auction, while any cash/money donations and the funds from the auction will be put together and delivered to the foundation directly.

“Veterans are the ones that get blended in with the rest yet put so much on the line,” Vincent said. “Being around and part of the military community for most of my life, I have an understanding of not only what gets left behind when the orders are given, but what the families go through during deployments and their time away from home.”

Vincent said she has always been passionate about mental health, but when mixed with the veteran side of things, it hit a little too close to home. She heard about Outside the Wire through a friend who works for the organization and began to learn more about it, what they do and what they stand for.

Outside the Wire is a Pittsburg-based 501(c)3 foundation designed to assist veterans and their families as they navigate life after service by providing hands-on VA disability claims assistance, pension and nursing home support, connecting veterans to community resources, and offering outdoor retreat experiences primarily serving Southeast Kansas.

“My overall goal is not only to give thanks and appreciation to service members, veterans and their families,” Vincent said, “but to also promote Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation, as they offer and assist so much to the veteran community.”

For Vincent, promoting the foundation was an easy choice. Then she heard about their Veterans’ Retreat in September.

“The importance of it is what hit home,” Vincent added. “I'm hoping to help raise enough money towards their overall amount needed that they are closer to their end goal by the events date.”

Vincent said the mental health side of coming home isn't always considered or fully understood. Her personal goal is to work with the veteran community to set up this event and to assist veterans and service members in finding information on opportunities they may not know are available to them, and to provide information for businesses and services that contribute to their community, and most importantly, their mental health.

The Salute to Service Family Day Fundraiser will be on July 18th at 11 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg. Contributions can either be sent or dropped off to the church or can be picked up in person.

Point of contact for the event is Abigail Vincent at 620-612-3844 or the First United Methodist Church at 620-231-2170 to leave a message, indicating that it's for the event.

Those interested in supporting or volunteering can check out the Salute to Service Family Day Fundraiser page on Facebook for updates.

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews