>> Narrator: This week on Friends & Neighbors.

(upbeat music) >> Male: I wanted to do it for a place for veterans.

To help veterans with the same kind of background that I had.

Drug abuse, the alcohol I used, the homelessness.

To give them a place to work.

And maybe help them to get on their way.

>> Male: Just because of what an officer, whether a police officer, a firefighter, even dispatch, what they deal with on a daily basis, it's a lot.

And people need to recognize that.

Those people do a lot for our community.

And, you don't have to be at war to get some type of PTSD.

(upbeat music) >> Female: Doing as much as you can, as quickly as you can, is important to me.

Life is short.

And the earlier we get started helping our community, the better off our community will be.

(upbeat music) >> I have a very strong connection to other students.

Everyone makes an effort to help each other.

I'll remember the feeling of being here.

The feeling that I was a part of a family.

(upbeat music) >> Female: Shopping for fruits and vegetables in the Strack & Van Til produce department, is a feast for the senses.

With produce picked at the peak of freshness.

From apples and avocados to pineapples and peppers, treat yourself to the best quality fruits and vegetables.

Find them at your local Strack & Van Til store.

>> Male: A long lasting legacy of family ownership, dedicated to generations of clients, is what sets Centier apart.

Trust the integrity, experience and personal service of Centier, Indiana's largest private family-owned bank.

>> Male: Support for programming in Lakeshore PBS comes in part from a generous bequest of the estate of Marjorie A.

Mills.

Whose remarkable contribution will help us keep viewers like you informed, inspired and entertained for years to come.

(upbeat music) >> Male: Additional support for Lakeshore PBS is provided by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(gentle music) >> A roadside bomb went off on just kinda a routine convoy through central Baghdad.

Make a long story short, took my left leg with it.

So I've been an above the knee amputee for about 18 years.

You never expect that to happen.

And then it does and you have no idea what your life is gonna be like.

Sports kinda gave me the confidence to realize that my life could go on.

18 years later, three time Paralympian medalist, team USA.

Sports has given me such an outlook that I never, I never knew.

(gentle music) >> So I ran for 10 years before my amputation and I've run a marathon probably every year, maybe two a year, since.

Shortly before my amputation, I had just started doing ultra marathons, which is anything over marathon distance.

>> Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club, we're based out of Chicago.

And we get athletes with physical disabilities into the sport of triathlon.

One of our marque camps is this military camp.

So everyone that's an athlete here with us is a veteran.

They have been injured in some way.

A wide range of physical disabilities but nothing that will stop them from being a triathlete.

A lot of them are here first time since their injury.

Maybe the first time swimming, never within a triathlon.

And we are here to show them what they can still do.

The one think I noticed.

>> So I met Melissa last night.

Kind of everything that I wanna be, you know, she's out there doing marathons in her running blade.

It's my goal, so.

I haven't had much exposure to fellow amputees who are active, definitely none who run.

So it's just nice to talk to someone else who runs and give me something to look forward to and motivational, be like, yeah, if I can do it, you can do it.

>> Our camp is Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We culminate with Leon's Triathlon.

And what better race for these veterans to come be a part of than the most patriotic race in America.

(upbeat music) >> It is absolutely very emotional to see someone jumping in the water, with the confidence that I'm gonna get to the finish line, that does not have their vision or does not have a limb.

(crowd cheers) The sport of triathlon offers such an amazing vehicle for that.

And then you wrap it with, what I call organic patriotism, you've created an experience, that once they get to the finish line, now what they're telling us is, we're going on with our life.

Because a lot of them are dealing with issues, isolation, et cetera.

And I'm not well versed to even speak on that topic.

But just understanding the multiple surgeries and everything they're going through, that now, I made it from here to here with all them obstacles and challenges, I'm going forward with my life.

Where sometimes we all need a little bit of a helping hand.

This environment is all about inspiring and making sure that everyone understands we are gonna make it.

Not I, we.

(upbeat music) >> The comradery is so strong.

I mean, it's strong with athletes with disabilities.

It's strong with people with disabilities.

But then you have the smaller subset of the veteran population who has been in the military, who has a disability.

And here we are altogether becoming triathletes.

It's like an instant bond.

I mean, a lot of these men and women I've never met before but I can already tell they're incredible people and I'm honored to just be able to be with them this weekend.

>> Instant family.

That's one of the things I love about military service is, you have that instant family.

So now, not only do we have the instant family of the military but of the trauma of being an amputee.

So it's great.

That's one of the things I've always loved about racing is, it doesn't matter if you know this person you're out there running next to, you know they're struggling, you can talk to 'em and you can offer words of encouragement.

And that may be something that helps get them across the finish line.

Whereas coming to something like this, I get to know these people.

And then it's just the feeling of family, there's nothing like it.

Racing is great but, stuff where you get to bond with fellow racers ahead of time is just even better.

>> Leon, no is not in his vocabulary.

He puts us first.

Our entire group just feels so incredibly welcomed.

And it's one of my favorite races of the year because it's fun.

The course is great.

And the support that Leon and his staff give, as a veteran, I mean, there's no more patriotic race that you'll find.

>> Our attitude was, if you'll educate us, we're honored.

Anything we could do to help and assist, count us in.

Not even a question.

But you're gonna have to educate us because that's a space that we're not knowledgeable.

So we're fortunate because we have some of the best on the planet earth that educate us on what we need to do out here.

And the end result is, one of the few para-friendly certified courses in the United States of America.

>> I think anyone that meets him knows very quickly that he truly does recognize the service and sacrifice that veterans have made.

>> My dad, like a lotta people, when they were 16 years old, they left America.

Many of them knew they weren't coming back.

They wanted a better country for the future.

My father was fortunate, he did make it back.

There was an American Legion Post 454, that my dad was deeply involved with.

We lived next to it.

So as a little kid, the only thing that I knew was the American Legion and veterans.

I lived in that space 24/7.

And what I witnessed was the depth of the love and the commitment to each other.

That depth left such an impact on me and it taught me a lesson, it's all about friendships in life.

That's where the wealth is in the journey of life.

>> There's a level that most civilians never see.

So you just don't understand.

It's different when you're on a deployment versus when you're home.

You have an idea and you can be sympathetic but true understanding doesn't come without experience, for sure.

>> My mom's brother was in the Battle of the Bulge.

He called my mom and my mom was busy and he just started talking.

He was in his 90s.

First time he's talked about it.

And what I have learned is, you never know when that moment will happen.

But when that moment does happen, we all have a moral obligation to listen.

You're listening to history.

It is so important for all of us in America to be great listeners because what they're doing is, they're educating us and they're educating us from their heart.

They were there willing to die.

That's the least that we can do.

(upbeat music) >> There's certain values ingrained in the military but I also think you're kind of a go-getter, right.

Like you have a strong sense of worth, a strong sense of self, being part of something bigger than yourself.

So you put them in a situation where, you know, it's scary, like, fully blind and he's gonna jump into water, like, I mean, that's scary but, it's not, I would say the veteran community is not one to hold back.

And you have these amazing volunteers and coaches that are here with you, to make sure that you are safe and they're gonna do it with you and it just kinda gives you that extra encouragement to get in.

And then, suddenly you're doing it.

Like, you're like, oh, I can do this and here I am doing it.

And it's pretty great.

>> I don't think I would've been able to do it without Dare2tri, for sure.

I had an awesome helper, was there to help motivate me.

Tell me I could keep going when, in my head, I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna stop.

Especially in the run portion, was brutal.

(upbeat music) >> I think when you jump into athletics or sports after being injured, it kind of shows you the things you can still do.

I think a lot of times, like, we're so ingrained to think about, oh my God, will I ever be an athlete?

But, you can be.

We show them how much ability is in a disability.

I mean, it's incredible.

You can just see it in them too.

A lot of them never thought they would ever swim, bike and run, much less do it all in the same time.

So we're kinda here, just showing them that they can still do that.

And crossing the finish line on Sunday, we like to say that the finish line is like just the beginning, just realizing what they can still do.

I guarantee you that they will not be the same person on Sunday after the race, that they were when they got here yesterday.

It changes lives.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) >> This is Veterans Cafe & Catering.

We're in Merrillville, Indiana, 7805 Taft Street.

I've been in the culinary arts business or I've worked under it, off and on since I was young, like 18 years old, 17 years old, off and on.

>> I'm from Selma, Alabama.

I grew up there.

My father was a Navy veteran.

Well, he did most, a lot of the cooking at home.

And I was always there.

I wanted to learn how to cook.

So when I was nine years old, he taught me how to cook.

You know, make the macaroni and cheese and all those different things.

That's how I kinda fell in love with cooking.

In 2009 my husband Henry and I, we opened up what you call a veteran transition home.

Well, he's on military 100% disabled veteran Marine, really.

And so he always cared about veterans and wanted to make sure that they, you know, was helped.

You know, they had hot meals every day, they stayed there.

After they stayed there for so many days, like, 60 days to a year, we were able to transition them into their own permanent housing.

Because that's how I met Brian.

Brian came into the home in 2010, homeless.

And so, he been with me ever since.

>> I ended up stuck on my brother's couch.

I couldn't work.

And I had a history of being an alcoholic and a drug addict.

When I got there, I was pretty much like, my life was over because I didn't think I'd be able to work again.

And I had already had a history, I'd been homeless for 10 years already.

So, when, at our first meeting, between me and Bessie, I sat across from her and she asked me what I wanted.

And I said, I just want my own place.

And I want to be able to pay my rent.

And I wanna be productive.

And I started balling and she said, we can do that.

You can do that.

You can do that.

And from that point on, she raised my hope level and helped me get back my drive and my motivation that I had.

And Bessie's a fantastic cook.

You know, we come from different backgrounds and different demographics.

I wanted to do it for a place for veterans, to help veterans with the same kind of background that I had, drug abuse, the alcohol abuse, the homelessness.

To give them a place to work and maybe help them to get on their way.

>> My hope is still being able to help more veterans.

And one of our goals also, is to teach children how to cook.

Is something that I love.

I love working with children and feeding them.

You know we did our best to follow state's guidelines 'cause with a state, we had certain guidelines we had to follow.

So we were going into the schools and serving the food, you know, from the buffet and everything.

We had to, you know, pack the lunches.

We had to pack the breakfast and deliver it to the school.

And for each day we did over 700 and some meals between the lunch and the breakfast.

So I had two groups of people, one delivering to my first school and the next one, you know I'm the one that goes there and actually was serving.

We had to pack so many lunches, even during that time, during the pandemic.

Because the students was at home learning but they still had to be fed.

>> So every second Saturday of every month, we had the veterans breakfast buffet.

They all served together in Iraq but they all meet here, they're all war vets.

They all meet here and they congregate.

Sometimes we have only eight or nine, sometimes 30 show up.

And we're hoping to build on that.

But they've been doing that for over three years.

Even during the COVID.

We missed one month because nobody was sure.

And then I said, hey, let's do this, come on guys.

And it's been one of my favorite things to do.

To have all them here and see them all chilling like they're, you know, like they're greatest best friends in the world, just makes me happy.

You know what I mean?

>> I was in the army for 30 years.

The army and the National Guard.

I was active duty at National Guard.

And then I worked 10 years for the VA and now I'm retired.

You know what, it's camaraderie.

That's what it all is about.

It's all about camaraderie.

And we have a good time doing what we do.

It means a lot.

It means a lot to us.

And I mean, when Brian and Bessie opens this place up for us, the second Saturday of every month, it's enjoyable.

>> It's a way of keeping in touch and really helping each other out.

One of the things that we've learned as veterans, is that you have to have someone to reach out to, depending on some of the experiences you've had, it's good to stay in touch and kinda helps keep you grounded that way.

>> We've all shared common experiences.

And from those we've developed a bond with each other that only someone that served in their country and wore the uniform of their country can understand.

The one thing that veterans need to do, is to be able to trust.

There's no agenda here, except, what do you need from me, a fellow veteran?

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) >> The Chesterton Brewery was built and based on a means to give back to our veterans in need.

Not only just our military but our first responders as well.

(upbeat music) Everybody loves craft beer, right.

So, we're heavily supported.

We have good barbecue here.

So people come in and we do fundraisers.

And people love to come in and drink beer and eat.

And that enables us to raise money for those in need.

Veterans brewing for veterans is just a, it's basically our slogan on how we're able to be a conduit to get those that need help, the help they need.

I served in the United States Marine Corps, '90 to '94.

But I got out.

I have all my digits, all my limbs.

I don't have PTSD.

So I'm a very fortunate Marine, to not have any deficiencies in that manner.

And so I felt that we needed to find a way to give back to those who paid a large sacrifice or the ultimate sacrifice.

Yeah, there's always those that need something.

And it's so vast across the country.

And we're just touching just a tiny, tiny portion of that.

Other things that we support is, first responders, local police departments.

The fire department's big.

People think that PTSD is associated just with the military and that's not true It's tremendous.

So it's right here in our hometown as well.

Just because of what an officer, whether a police officer, a firefighter, even dispatch, what they deal with on a daily basis, it's a lot.

And people need to recognize that.

Those people do a lot for our community.

And you don't have to be at war to get some type of PTSD.

(upbeat music) Oh, there's so many things that go on here on an annual basis.

When our beers come out, they have a very generic name, whether it's just an IPA, a west coast IPA, an NI, New England IPA.

And then when we find somebody to honor or an organization to honor, we'll go ahead and change the name of that beer and something that comes to mind, Thorstad.

Our Thorstad's an amber ale.

It honors Staff Sergeant Thorstad, whose Marine Corps uniform hangs in the brewery here.

He was killed in 1983 in the Beirut bombings.

So, from Chesterton, Chesterton native.

So, we do things like that.

And people will come in and they wanna honor a loved one.

Not only were the chairs but some of our tables as well, have plaques in 'em.

And what's kinda crazy is, people will come in on a Sunday before the football game and the first thing they do, is go and look for their loved ones chair.

Then they'll take that, take it to their favorite spot at the bar or at a table and then replace that chair and take it back, so there's a little bit of musical chairs some days when we first open Back The Blue 22, that's for our local police department, Chesterton Police Department.

All money raised is for equipment and training.

This is our largest event that we're putting on.

For the past three years, since we've been open, we have done a ceremony to honor the fallen.

Fallen police officers.

May 14th is Police Day.

And we'll just read the names of the fallen for that year.

And there's a lot.

We don't read all the names out of the United States.

We just do Indiana.

This year we're lighting a torch for them.

And then after that we bump into our fundraising activities, where we have a couple bands coming in and food and drink and it's where the community can come together, support their local police department, show some love and just enjoy the day with some good music.

(upbeat music) The new patrons we get in, they're just blown away.

And then some people are clogging up the aisles 'cause they're in awe of everything that's going on.

Supporting our first responders or supporting the vets and the patriotic things that we do here and just how it's decorated.

And so, yeah, people would just come in and they're a little mind blown at first.

Whether we're honoring somebody's loved one or listening to Jessica Lynch tell her story, not a dry eye in the house that night.

We get speakers out but, people like Indiana Quilts come out or Quilts of Honor, they come out and they'll honor somebody.

Yeah, there's so many emotional things that are tied But then also the fundraising, when, at the end of the day and you turn over that check and you see, well, it was a lotta work but in the end it's worth it, right.

And so, yeah, there's definitely a tear and a beer, if you will, up here in the brewery.

(upbeat music) >> Female: Doing as much as you can, as quickly as you can, is important to me.

Life is short.

And the earlier we get started helping our community, the better off our community will be.

>> Almost every single professor I've had, I'm on a first name basis.

By building that relationship with faculty, I was able to get involved with research.

It's one thing to read about an idea in a book versus physically doing it and seeing the results (upbeat music) >> Female: Strack & Van Til is your wedding planning partner.

Choose handcrafted designs by the trained floral designers in our floral department.

Plan a memorable meal for your reception from our delicious catering menu and let our bakery artisans design the wedding cake of your dreams.

Visit strackandvantil.com for details.

>> Male: A long lasting legacy of family ownership dedicated to generations of clients, is what sets Centier apart.

Trust the integrity, experience and personal service of Centier, Indiana's largest private family-owned bank >> Male: Support for programming in Lakeshore PBS, comes in part from a generous bequest of the estate of Marjorie A.

Mills, whose remarkable contribution will help us keep viewers like you informed, inspired and entertained for years to come.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) >> Male: Additional support for Lakeshore PBS is provided by viewers like you.

Thank you.

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(upbeat music)