The 2nd Annual Veterans Appreciation Cookout at Ujamaa!

On Thursday, May 22nd, the Office of Veterans Services for the Mayor of Indianapolis, the Near Northwest Community, and the Ujamaa Bookstore at the historic Flanner House joined forces for a 2nd year to pay tribute and honor the veteran residents who reside in the Near Northwest quadrant of Indianapolis. May is National Appreciation Month and in 2024, the manager of the Ujamaa bookstore asked would it be possible to do anything to honor the veterans in this community to show how much we appreciate their service, commitment and duty to not only this country but also, to the lives families and neighborhoods that make up the Near Northwest. 

So last year, we got together to ask our veterans what they would like, and we heard back that a simple barbecue would be nice. We then gathered together organizations that wanted to contribute to this. We heard back from, The Mission Continues(a veteran non-profit that serves veterans), DipIN(Diabetes Impact Project-Indianapolis), local churches and resident groups to put together a day where we could cook out, play live music, raffle off gifts and for a baseball game in the Indianapolis Indians Mayor’s Suite, and just love on all our veterans.

Another thing we wanted to make sure of was that while they were with us there, we could connect them to resources they may need and/or provide them with Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) to help guide them through their disability claims, which we do free of charge. Veteran Service Officer Lanette Jackson (lannette.hatcher@indy.gov, 317-665-5267), our NNW rep, and our other VSOs were there to assist if needed. Still, like everyone serving there, they wanted everyone to have a good time and fellowship with one another.

It was a fun-filled, food-filled (ask the bookstore about the mac and cheese!), love-filled night, and we look forward to doing this again next year. If you served or you know someone who served, please, please, please, contact us so that we may continue to serve you! You are the reason why we enjoy the freedoms we have today and we just wanted to make sure that you have all the assistance you need to enjoy the fruits of all the fantastic work you have done for us all!

Ronald Rice, Director of the Office of Veteran Services, City of Indianapolis