A growing nonprofit based in Washington is working to build connections by bringing veterans, service members and military families together.
For many veterans, the hardest part of leaving the military is losing the camaraderie that came with serving.
A growing nonprofit based in Washington is working to rebuild those connections by bringing veterans, service members and military families together through local meetups and online support.
“It all started as a little Facebook group, and now it’s a big Facebook group,” co-founder Joshua Wheeldon said.
Wheeldon and fellow veteran Joshua Penner launched PNW Vets while taking classes at Highline College.
The veterans recognized that many other veterans struggled to find a place to connect outside of traditional organizations.
“There was a need for veterans to be able to connect outside of your normal everyday veteran service organization,” Wheeldon said. “A place where there’s no barriers for veterans to come together.”
Today, the organization welcomes veterans, active-duty service members, military families, surviving family members and community supporters, all with the goal of sharing resources and building lasting relationships.
While the online community continues to grow, Wheeldon said the organization’s biggest focus has shifted to in-person connections.
“In the last five years or so we’ve really had this calling for in-person connections,” he said.
PNW Vets now has volunteer leaders from Bellingham to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Salem, Oregon, who organize monthly gatherings where veterans can meet in a relaxed setting.
This is in line with the nonprofit’s mission of connecting the military and civilian communities through events, volunteer opportunities and trusted resources.
Meghan Barnes, executive director of Blue Star Families Puget Sound, said she was impressed after learning more about the organization.
“As soon as I got to know a little bit more about what PNW Vets was doing, I was just blown away,” Barnes said.
Her organization partners with PNW Vets to strengthen connections between veterans, military families and the communities where they live.
Wheeldon believes those relationships are the organization’s greatest resource.
“It’s about showing up and meeting new people and not being afraid, really taking chances to have conversations with other people,” Wheeldon said. “The best resource is the person that you’re talking to.”
