Support and recognition for our region’s military veterans is strong and growing each year. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County has a long history of advocating for our veterans and in fact its very first project back in 1944 was the construction of Memorial Stadium in Port Huron to honor the local lives lost in war.

The Community Foundation will expand its support for our veterans and give more people the chance to make gifts in honor of our veterans by establishing a new St. Clair County Veterans Fund.

“Our Veterans Fund is an appreciation, dedication and intentional opportunity to assist with the needs of veterans in our community,” said Patti Manley, chair of the Community Foundation.

The St. Clair County Veterans Fund will complement the success of the Blue Water Fallen Heroes Banner Fund that continues to expand its reach around St. Clair County. This new Veterans Fund will support programs, projects and initiatives that benefit veterans living in St. Clair County.

The Community Foundation has already begun to identify and work closely with local veterans’ organizations and service providers to identify the most pressing needs within the veteran community. This collaborative approach ensures that funds are directed where they can have the most significant impact, whether it’s for healthcare, housing, employment assistance, or mental health support.

The launch of the Veterans Fund was made possible by the donations received in celebration of the opening of the St. Clair Inn during their charity preview party in 2019. Since that event, proceeds have been used to benefit youth and veterans’ programs in the community.

In order to more effectively use these charitable gifts, the Foundation has split the funds evenly between its Youth Advisory Council and this new Veterans Fund.

An anonymous donor then provided an additional $15,000 which the Foundation will use to make grants in the near future. 

“We realize the challenges facing veterans can be complex and enduring,” Manley added.   “Therefore, we are approaching this support with a long-term perspective by establishing an endowment fund that can help provide assistance to veteran serving organizations, not just in the immediate aftermath of a veteran’s service but throughout a veteran’s life.”

The St. Clair County Veterans Fund certainly isn’t large enough to address the vast needs of our local veterans but the Foundation will collaborate with government agencies, other nonprofits, businesses and individual donors to maximize resources and reach more veterans effectively.

The Blue Water Area Fallen Heroes Community Banner Program is a fund held at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and is supported through the generosity of donors.

To learn more visit here.

To support the St. Clair County Veterans Fund click here.