VA2K: Supporting the Community

“Events like VA2K are vital because they raise awareness about Veteran homelessness, engage the community, and generate donations that provide direct support to those in need,” said Adam Sykes, a voluntary service specialist with TVHS Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE). “[VA2K] also promotes health and wellness among participants while reinforcing VA’s commitment to caring for all Veterans.”

VA2K is a national event held annually at VA facilities across the country. VA2K aims to foster healthy lifestyles through walking and even rolling two kilometers, while raising awareness and donations to support homeless Veterans.

“VA2K increases the awareness to [VA employees] and the community about barriers Veterans experience who are homeless and encounter and allows [VA employees] and the community to help support efforts to end Veteran homelessness through donations,” said Jaha Martin, a homeless program supervisor for TVHS.

This year, participants donated over $6,000 worth of money, non-perishable food, new clothing, and more, during the event.

“CDCE uses the monetary, food, and clothing donations collected at the VA2K events to directly support homeless Veterans by providing essential items such as clothing, hygiene kits, and other critical resources in helping meet their immediate needs and supporting their path to stability,” Sykes said.

Pete Friedrich, a Veteran and store manager for The Good Feet Store in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was one of the many who participated in VA2K to support homeless Veterans.

“I looked online for a way to donate, and I saw [VA2K] was coming up, and I knew this was the perfect place to support Veterans,” Friedrich said, who donated over $2,000 in new shoes. 

Live music welcomed the participants, and TVHS outreach teams provided information on essential programs and services, such as Whole Health, My HealtheVet, suicide prevention, and more. At the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center event, participants were greeted by Penny the horse. Penny is part of the Center for Equine Recovery for Veterans and aids Veterans to overcome mental and physical challenges through learning basic horsemanship.

Virtual events, such as classes on nutrition, mindfulness, tai chi, and yoga nidra, were offered to individuals who could not attend one of the four locations.

With the final lap completed, the final song finished, and Penny returned to the stable, this year’s VA2K ended. However, the amount of work accomplished by the planning team and the participants will continue as the donations will help the lives of homeless Veterans.

“Every Veteran deserves a safe place to call home,” Martin said. “These donations will support housing stability and provide critical resources for Veterans … As a community, we can create meaningful change and impact and [work toward] ending Veteran homelessness.”