The next time you thank a veteran for their service to our country, it may help to acknowledge that you still appreciate them today. Many veterans return home suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, depression and other maladies that may last their lives. Others simply have a challenging time adjusting to life outside the service.

And you can support two Northwest Indiana organizations dedicated to helping veterans live full, productive lives.

From Monday, July 7, through Sunday, July 20, North Township Veterans Round Table and Veterans Impact Services/Operation Charlie Bravo will be the beneficiaries of Strack & Van Til’s Checkout Challenge Round Up. Customers across the Region can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar when shopping at all Strack & Van Til stores. Those extra funds will be split between the two organizations.

The North Township Veterans Roundtable is an independent group representing a variety of Veterans Organizations in Lake County. They meet once a month at Wicker Memorial Park Social Center in Highland, sponsored by North Township Trustee Adrian A. Santos. They provide a platform for local veterans’ organizations to meet, share their current projects and challenges and learn how they can support one another. In doing this, the NTVR learns of veterans who need financial and/or community support and provides the forum to meet their mission to provide and help facilitate assistance for those needs.

According to the Office of the North Township Chief of Staff Nikki Mika, NTVR has provided financial support for a veteran who needed help with home repair, supported a local group that offers military burial services and supported a group that donates Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas gifts to veterans and their families. They also recently helped maintain a local memorial site that honors the service of military men and women.

By partnering with Strack & Van Til, NTVR will receive funds to help expand their support for veterans and their families. They are also developing plans to provide scholarships for the children of local veterans. In addition, NTVR has targeted funds to continue supporting the needs of the local veteran community, including emergency assistance and long-term support to help veterans sustain a better quality of life.

As a nonprofit consisting of all volunteers, 100% of the funds received are used to assist local veterans. “We thank Strack & Van Til management and all their employees for providing us with this opportunity and their continued support of our veterans,” says Mika. “Many say they support our veterans, but few actually do. We appreciate organizations like Strack & Van Til that continuously support our veterans.”   

For nearly 10 years, Veterans Impact Services/Operation Charlie Bravo has maintained a 100% success rate in preventing veteran suicide and homelessness. Proceeds from the Strack & Van Til Checkout Challenge Round Up will further OCB’s mission of preventing veteran suicide and homelessness. A portion of the funds will go toward needed facility improvements to provide a better shared, camaraderie-filled experience to all who attend, including veterans, volunteers, their families and supporters.

“Why can’t therapy be fun?” asks Jason Zaideman, Operation Charlie Bravo CEO and cofounder and U.S. Army veteran. “This is the question we asked ourselves almost 10 years ago when we started OCB. This Round Up program will open new doors for veterans who are struggling with the effects of PTSD, TBI and depression by making improvements in a variety of areas that are vital to the prolonged success of our mission.”

The organization’s goals include streamlining in-processing, building offices for each of the departments, improving program areas and finishing its showroom, which will help alleviate outside stressors for veterans receiving sessions. Facilitating growth and retention propels the group’s mission and reaches additional veterans in need of assistance. Other money received will go toward the Blaster Program (transportation solutions), On Your Feet (financial wellness) and Hot Rod Therapy (DIY art therapies).

According to Zaideman, the group has a “cure” for veteran mental health: In 2024, it held 2,941 veteran therapeutic sessions. 

“Mental health therapy is important, and vets are important, and we want them to understand that. We’re aware that a problem exists, and we’re actively doing everything we can to change it, providing a fun-filled, near-peer atmosphere that reignites everything we missed about serving,” Zaideman notes. “When you see these vets making real improvements — getting jobs, vehicles, going back to school, buying a house, improving relationships with their families, having goals they are diligently working toward and getting their happiness back — there’s nothing that can describe how proud of them we are.

 “We are very excited to partner with Strack & Van Til in their initiative to help veterans with their Round Up program,” Zaideman says. “Strack & Van Til sees the need and is doing their part in the community to make a real difference in veterans’ lives. We are beyond appreciative.”

Strack & Van Til continues its more than 95-year tradition of philanthropy by raising funds through the Checkout Challenge Round Up program to help organizations in the communities it serves throughout Northwest Indiana.

Strack & Van Til President Jeff Strack credits customer generosity and employee commitment for the success of the Checkout Challenge Round Ups.

“We are incredibly grateful to our customers. They are the ones who give back to the community. Our stores, with the help of our employees, simply provide our customers with an outlet to give to some of their favorite local organizations,” he explains.

For more information on programs, to volunteer or to donate to the North Township Veterans Round Table, visit northtownshiptrustee.com. For program information and opportunities to volunteer and donate to Veterans Impact Services/Operation Charlie Bravo, visit ocbravo.org. To learn more about how Strack & Van Til gives back to the communities they serve, visit strackandvantil.com/community.