American flags line Cape Cod Boulevard as neighbors gather or peek out from windows to watch the neighborhood block party near Monaco Elementary School.
The sky was clear and sunny at the Providence Village Hope Foundation’s second annual Salute To Veterans celebration on Saturday.
“We’re trying to be like the charity arm of the city, to help bring the community together,” said Elise Jumbelick, vice president of the Providence Village Hope Foundation and event coordinator.
The Providence Village Hope Foundation helps residents in crisis or in need, whether it’s financial or medical, and the foundation board members have a special place in their hearts for veterans, first responders and unsung heroes.
“Our founder [Eric Mattson] was a veteran… and he was a first responder after his military career, so when he founded the Hope Foundation, that was really important to him,” Jumbelick said.
Families like Lee Johnson and his wife, Irish Johnson, appreciate community events honoring veterans, they said as they walked down the street, watching their son hop from one bouncy house to the next.
Lee is a Marine who served for 10 years with eight combat deployments—six to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.
The Johnsons learned about the event through Lee’s PTSD support group.
“Being a wife of a veteran, it’s very important to not only come out to support, but to just be active in your neighborhood,” Irish said. “It really helps veterans mentally, physically, and of course, they do take up donations, so financially as well. … It also shows our kids … how appreciative you are, especially for the men and women that have served.”
Meeting other veterans at these events and connecting are small moments with big impacts.
“It’s important to share his story, his testimony, to other young men and women that might be thinking along the same lines of going to fight for your country,” Irish said.
The opening ceremony began with a rendition of the national anthem, the veteran of the year award and a color guard by Denton County Young Marines.
As kids played in the bouncy houses and parents visited various vendors, families took photos with firefighters.
The smell of barbecue filled the air.
There was also a petting zoo with bunnies, goats and alpacas, attracting both young and old.
Texas Realtor and event vendor Tiffany Lorraine showed her support, dressed head-to-toe in red, white and blue.
With an extensive family history of military service, Lorraine is proud to support the troops.
“A lot of my family members have been veterans,” she said. “Both my uncle and my brother served in the Air Force. My uncle retired as an Air Force veteran. And then my brother did six years. He also did two tours in Iraq.”
Through events like these, the Hope Foundation continues its mission by bridging gaps, finding common ground and bringing people together, and the vendors they drew in agree with that mission.
“I love Providence Village,” Lorraine said. “It’s a wonderful community. And I thought I would come out and support our veterans because I’m so grateful for all that they have done for us to keep us safe.”
