Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Vets Helping Vets of Anderson dedicated its new building Wednesday, opening a permanent gathering place for an organization that began with 14 veterans determined to preserve their support network.
The ceremony marked the opening of the Jesse Taylor Veterans Center at 1856 Bleckley St. The 4,500-square-foot facility sits on 3.5 acres and includes meeting areas, a kitchen and offices, according to the organization.
I don't know if I can have the size here.
Jesse Turner, who is one of the founders and a key leader in the organization said he never dreamed he see the facility that opened today.
I know we had other stories and you guys have gotta find it.
“All I know is there was a need, and we were able to put it together,” said Turner. “I've had people To donate their time, their effort, their money and it's unbelievable the support that has come into us.”
The completed facility is open Monday-Friday and the current winter schedule is from 10 a.m.-4 p. m.
“It's a place where they can come and be together,” said Turner. “That’s the number one thing for veterans, camaraderie. That's what they were missing.”
The all-volunteer nonprofit provides support groups, practical assistance, community outreach and connections to financial and medical resources for veterans and their families in the Anderson area.
Its services include helping veterans find transportation, maintaining lawns, building accessibility ramps and locating emergency personal or medical funding. The organization says its mission centers on camaraderie, shared experiences and regular contact with fellow veterans.
The group traces its beginnings to 2014, when the Department of Veterans Affairs discontinued meetings used by a group of local veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. Rather than lose that connection, 14 veterans continued meeting and found a home at the Anderson Elks Club.
The group expanded its focus as members recognized that other veterans needed assistance, according to its account of the organization’s history. It eventually outgrew its meeting space at the lodge.
The new center provides a dedicated location for that work after years of using other facilities for meetings and events. The organization credits donors with helping make the building possible.
Inside, the center includes a large meeting hall for gatherings, classes and workshops, along with Doris’s Kitchen and the Master Gunnery Sgt. Joe Walter’s USMC Library. An outdoor flag plaza displays the American, South Carolina and POW/MIA flags.
Project partners included Studio Main, RiverRock Engineering, Pan Carolina Engineering, V Ballard Consulting, Jimmy L. Davis Construction, and Anderson Grading and Trenching.
Veterans attending the facility are asked to bring proof of service, such as a DD214, a military or VA identification card, or a driver’s license or state identification card with a veteran designation. The organization asks prospective visitors to contact it before attending the combat veterans meeting.
Information about services, meetings and opportunities to help is available at vetshelpingvetsanderson.com.
