Open Source: Love Our Hero’s builds community of support for veterans

ASHLAND — Tami Robinson doesn’t know what the next call for help will be.

It could be a veteran who needs help paying a utility bill. It could be someone moving into a new home who needs dishes and furniture. Sometimes it means finding a way to repair a vehicle or provide medical equipment.

Whatever the need is, Robinson tries to help.

That approach has helped Love Our Hero’s grow from a small thrift store into a 9,000-square-foot community resource for veterans and their families.

“We focus on how to help this person today, and then we worry about the next day,” Robinson said.

The Bellville nonprofit organization at 24 Bell St. helps veterans in 18 counties. Robinson said she could not do it alone.

Local residents donate military memorabilia and household items. Volunteers help sort and organize the store. Businesses find ways to raise money and bring attention to the organization.

One of those businesses is Miller’s Hawkins Market.

Miller’s Store Manager Karen Graves first learned about Love Our Hero’s from a flyer at her chiropractor’s office in 2022. She bought two tables for the organization’s annual purse bingo and brought 18 members of her Miller’s team.

That first fundraiser has grown into an ongoing partnership.

Miller’s has sponsored Love Our Hero’s events and held fundraisers at the store. Last November, the team raised about $2,500 through $1 decals. Customers signed their names on the decals and placed them on the store’s windows.

The partnership will continue Saturday during Miller’s Rib Fest today.

The event will run until 5 p.m. at the store. Miller’s will donate all the proceeds to Love Our Hero’s.

The store will sell full slabs for $12 and half slabs for $7. The fundraiser will mark Miller’s third Rib Fest this year and its second Rib Fest this year for Love Our Hero’s.

Graves said her team supports the organization because of the veterans it serves.

“They sacrificed their lives for us,” Graves said. “So it’s an honor for us to do this for them.”

Graves and her team have helped with multiple Love Our Hero’s events. They plan to cook at the organization’s next purse bingo in March. Miller’s will also help sponsor the Love Our Hero’s beauty pageant in October.

Graves said her team does not support the organization for recognition. They do it because they want to help local veterans.

“It just makes us feel good to help people,” Graves said.

Inside Love Our Hero’s, the support is visible throughout the store walls.

Military uniforms and memorabilia fill the walls of the store. Donated household items fill shelves and tables. Most items do not have a set price. Customers make a monetary donation based on what they can afford.

The military items are not for sale. Love Our Hero’s displays them to honor the veterans who donated them.

Robinson said veterans often become emotional when they walk through the store. Some recognize an item from their service. Others see something that belonged to a family member.

“It’s more than a thrift store, it’s a museum” Robinson said. “Everything in here has a story.”

The organization also helps veterans who are transitioning into housing. They can come into the store and choose household items they need to make a new place feel like home.

Robinson said simple household items can give someone a fresh start.

“It’s hope,” she said.

Love Our Hero’s has helped 483 veterans and spent more than $218,000 on assistance, according to figures displayed inside the store. Robinson said the number is always growing and won’t be the same every time someone looks at it.

She does not know what the next request for help will be.

She does know she will be there waiting for the call.