Mantua’s next VFW Coffee With a Vet event held on the second Tuesday of each month is planned for Aug. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Veterans and their families are invited to gather with each other to talk and bond over their shared experiences. Non-veterans who are interested in paying their respects to those who served are also welcome.
The event is similar to the township’s annual Coffee With a Cop events, also held nationwide to enhance the bond between communities and police departments and provide a relaxed setting to share stories and experiences.
“The intent is to invite veterans and their families in order to talk,” explained VFW trustee Michael Andreas. “We’re following the example of nearby VFWs, like Glassboro, that have their own version of the event. It’s a concept thay we all think is a good idea. If vets want to get together and address their issues, they can come here.”
Representative of veterans’ organizations will offer services and assist with vet issues. Any veteran – regardless of age and previous deployment – can attend Coffee With a Vet events at no cost. The August gathering will be the second for Mantua’s VFW; the first took place on July 9 but had a low turnout due to lack of advertising by the township, according to Andreas.
In order to increase attendance, the VFW is working with the township to get the word out.
“It’s a thing we do in order to interact with the community and their veterans,” Andreas noted. “We’re asking for help from the Mantua offices to reach out to people who might be interested in it.”
The event’s end time of noon is a rough estimate, as the VFW will not force anyone out at that exact hour.
“”If you need to stay and talk a while longer to people,” Andreas said, “we’ll be here to help out.”
Coffee With a Vet in Mantua will not end with next month’s event, Andreas promised.
“We’re hoping that it’s a success and that we can do it more in the indefinite future,” he said.
