Appreciating and Helping Our Veterans

Our veterans – the brave men and women who willingly defended our country and freedoms -- deserve more thanks and recognition than we can possibly offer.

Allenforce, a 501(c )(3) nonprofit organization in Plainfield, is based on this very sentiment.

CEO Donna Allen-Sebok says Allenforce’s main purpose is aimed at meeting the needs of promoting a healthy and successful lifestyle for veterans.

“No words are powerful enough to ever say thank you to the men and women and their families who have served and sacrificed for our freedoms,” Allen-Sebok said. “There’s no way to honor them enough.”

The reality is that after completing their military service, many of these heroes face other struggles in everyday life.

Depression, anxiety, and PTSD among veterans have long been on the rise. Suicide rates throughout military veteran and first responder communities are an alarming 20 per day. These tragedies present life-changing struggles for those who have served, and for their families and caregivers.

The goal is to eliminate these occurrences by using the best available resources, support, and education.

This is why Immanuel Lutheran Crystal Lake is proud to host Vets 4 Veteran’s Families, a family-focused, community event sponsored by American Legion Post 171. The event will be held on June 26 and is free to attend.

The day-long family event on the Immanuel campus will feature music and entertainment, games and rides for the kids, food trucks, and two local equine organizations. Most importantly, the event will provide the opportunity to attend educational workshops and obtain a wealth of useful family information and resources to help veterans and their families.

Over twenty-five supportive organizations are slated to be in attendance, helping to give back, educate, and serve others who have served us.

“Through developing and implementing programs to benefit veterans and their families nationwide, assist in educating civilians through our workshops to better understand and accommodate former service members in our own communities, I have truly experienced the gift of serving others,” Allen-Sebok said.

Simple thanks are never enough, and our veterans and their families need our support now more than ever. That is what the special event on June 26 is all about.

For more information or any questions about the Vets 4 Veterans’ Families event, visit this page or contact Bob Dorn at rdorn2@gmail.com.

Immanuel Lutheran

300 S Pathway Ct

Crystal Lake, IL 60414

815-459-1441