FREEDOM (NBC26) — Eve Vanden Heuvel, 17, visited Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. for the first time two years ago. It was life-changing, said the Freedom teen.
“It was just such a profound experience for me to be able to see the rows and rows of graves from those who have fought to protect our freedom," she said. "You always hear the statistics, but it was a completely different experience being able to just see it in person, the rows are just never ending.”
This moved her to start 'Thank You from the Heart- Thanking our Veterans,' as part of her platform for being Miss Green Bay Area's Outstanding Teen. Vanden Heuvel began visiting elementary and middle schools, talking to kids about who veterans are and how they should be treated. She had them write thank-you cards too.
“There’s been times when I’ve just seen them at a restaurant and then I go up and thank them for their service I always make sure to bring cards with me wherever I go in case I do see a veteran," said Vanden Heuvel. “They just get often so emotional. We don’t really realize how much a simple thank-you can go for someone who’s given so much for our country.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting a pause on those in-person visits, she has taken Thank you from the Heart virtual, with YouTube presentations teachers can use in class. Kids can still make cards from home and drop them in a P.O. box.
Vanden Heuvel also put together 60 welcome buckets, filled with cleaning supplies and gift cards, for veterans moving into apartments at Veterans Village in Appleton.
“It’s blank, it’s empty, then they’re responsible for filling it with furniture and making it into their home," said Josh Andreini, Veterans Service Navigator for Veterans Village. "So just having a little welcome home gift with some supplies to get em started, a gift card to a local restaurant where they can maybe go get a meal the first night moving in, it’s just one less thing they have to worry about moving in to a new place.”
As a veteran himself, Andreini knows how this small gift goes such a long way, he said.
“I think what Eve is doing is great," he said. "In fact she’s kind of a role model to what other students can do and what I think really should do.”
If you want to join Eve Vanden Heuvel, you can write a thank-you card for a veteran and send it to her P.O. box:
Thank You From The Heart
P.O. BOX 434
Appleton WI 54912
You can check out the YouTube videos here.
You can also follow Thank You From The Heart on Facebook and Instagram.
