This Veterans Day, we pause to honor the sacrifice and dedication of those who have served. We are privileged to have many veterans among the Heart to Heart International family, and today, we invite you to read a special, personal message from one of them: Heather Lee, our Vice President of Development. Heather served our nation in the U.S. Army for ten years, including tours overseas in South Korea and Iraq.
When I left the Army, I knew that whatever came next needed to include a component of service. That sense of purpose, of helping others, was something I wasn’t ready to give up. I found it again here at Heart to Heart International (HHI).
This Veterans Day, I’m especially grateful that my work with HHI not only allows me to serve communities in need around the world but also to support my fellow veterans who may be facing challenges.
I have personally lost several comrades to suicide and have seen some of my soldiers struggle to find their footing after leaving the military. These experiences make HHI’s partnerships with veteran-supporting organizations deeply meaningful to me. They give me a profound sense of purpose and pride in our small part in supporting those who have given so much in service to others.
Recently, HHI supported the Veterans Stand Down Day in Kansas City. Our team brought the Mobile Medical Unit to provide checkups for veterans, connect them with the VA health system, and distribute hygiene kits, given alongside rucksacks, shoes, socks, and other essential items. As I watched each HHI-branded hygiene kit handed to a veteran, I saw in their faces my soldiers, my brothers and sisters in arms, and my friends.
In that moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude to work for an organization that never gives up in its mission to ensure every person receives help with dignity and compassion.
Every day at HHI, I’m reminded that service takes many forms. For me, this is a continuation of the mission, a way to keep serving those who have served. Thank you for
Sincerely,
Heather Lee
