June 2026 Community Update
Our first issue on Substack: PTSD Awareness Month, Women Veterans Day, and the road to the Fourth at Azario.
As summer begins, Neighbors in Service carries forward the work that defines us — to Educate, Strengthen, and Honor those who served. June is National PTSD Awareness Month, and it arrives on the heels of a Memorial Day weekend when our Azario community turned out in force. This month, we open with that awareness effort, walk through the events ahead — from Women Veterans Day to our NEW July flag tradition at the Azario entrances — look back at what we accomplished together, and close with the partnerships that keep our community standing watch for one another.
Check the Team Reach Events Calendar for sign-ups and updates. Not yet on Team Reach? Join today using code AZNIS4VETS.
PTSD Awareness Month — June 2026
June is National PTSD Awareness Month, and June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day. This month, we encourage our community to learn, share, and check in on those around us — especially our veterans and first responders who carry burdens that are not always visible.
Mark your calendar for June 27 — a PTSD Awareness Resource Fair is planned at the Bradenton Conference Center. Details to follow. Watch our Substack and Team Reach Events Calendar for updates as they are confirmed.
Local Support — NAMI Sarasota & Manatee Counties
NAMI runs ongoing support groups throughout June at locations in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. Groups include peer recovery, family support, and specialty programs. Find the full calendar and connect with their team at namisarasotamanatee.org or call (941) 376-9361.
VA Resources
The VA National Center for PTSD offers a free virtual awareness walk throughout June, plus a free PTSD self-screening tool at ptsd.va.gov. The Sarasota VA Outpatient Clinic is also a local point of contact — 4099 Cattlemen Rd, Sarasota | (941) 371-3349.
In Crisis or Need to Talk?
Call or text 988 — available 24/7.
Watch our Substack this month for NIS’s new article dedicated to PTSD Awareness, along with our inaugural article looking at the Fire Watch program and how our community showed up for suicide awareness.
Heroes Welcome Home — Volunteer Day, June 6
A great volunteer opportunity for Azarians! Heroes Welcome Home, in partnership with the REALTOR Association of Sarasota and Manatee Community Outreach Committee, is organizing a volunteer cleanup and repair day for a local veteran whose property was impacted following a neighboring house fire. During firefighting operations, portions of the fence were removed to provide access for emergency personnel, and the property has since fallen into disrepair.
Project focus: yard cleanup and debris removal, minor repairs, mailbox replacement, shed evaluation, and working with local officials toward fence replacement.
This volunteer day is a hands-on opportunity to make a real difference for a deserving veteran right here in our community. Volunteers are needed for yard work, debris removal, and pressure washing. Donations of materials, landscaping supplies, and financial contributions are also welcome.
To volunteer or donate:
Call: (941) 720-2221
Email: info@heroeswelcomehome.org
Restoring a home. Restoring pride. Restoring hope.
Women Veterans | Lakewood Ranch Library Series
The Lakewood Ranch Library has been offering a wonderful series spotlighting the stories and service of women veterans — and we are glad to be sharing it with our community.
May 15 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Celebrating Military Women 250: Extraordinary Stories of Brave and Valiant Women
The President of Women Veterans of the Suncoast shared stories of key women leaders who bravely served our country. We hope those who attended found it as inspiring as we did.
June 12 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Women Veterans Day
Lakewood Ranch Library — Auditorium (Meeting Room A+B)
The series continues with an inspiring lecture from the Vietnam War era, featuring a special guest. The program is inspired by Kristin Hannah’s powerful novel The Women, which honors the extraordinary service of women who served our country. Come early or stay late to connect with the Manatee County Veteran’s Services Office — a vital resource for veterans and their dependents accessing earned benefits and community referrals.
This event is open to adults (18+). Seats are limited — register here to reserve your spot.
Azario Flags | Celebrating July 4th
NIS will be organizing flags at our Azario entrances for Independence Day. We pay homage to Karen Hernandez and the Sunshine Committee, who placed flags on Memorial Day and July 4th in past years - watch video above. It is a simple, powerful way to honor our country and show our community’s pride.
We need volunteers for both shifts — please check YES in the Team Reach Events Calendar for the date(s) you are available:
Placement: Friday, July 3
Retrieval: Monday, July 6
You can sign up for one or both. Every volunteer makes this display possible, and we hope you will be part of it.
Not yet on Team Reach? Join today using code AZNIS4VETS to stay connected with NIS events, updates, and volunteer opportunities in the Azario community.
Thank You, Azario! SRQ Vets 11th Annual Memorial Hike
What an incredible showing from our Azario community. On May 23, we joined hundreds of our neighbors for the 11th Annual SRQ Vets Memorial Hike — and you showed up in a big way. Over 30 Azario residents participated, and the NIS table helped extend our reach and connect with even more members of the local veteran community.
A special thank-you to the Azario Run/Walk Club for their partnership and participation. Their involvement helped make our community presence at this event truly meaningful, and we look forward to continuing that collaboration at future events.
With roughly 500 people in attendance, this year’s hike was one to remember. It raised both funds and awareness for the vital work SRQ Vets does in support of local veterans. Most importantly, it gave our community a space to come together, honor the fallen, and reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day.
To everyone from Azario who laced up their shoes and walked with us — thank you. Your presence made a difference.
Coming Soon: We are exploring a collaboration with the Azario Run/Walk Club to participate in a walk/run in support of Tunnel to Towers. Stay tuned for details.
Everyday Money for Veterans on Fixed Incomes
Over the past several months, the NIS mentor team worked closely with Manatee County Veteran Services to build a financial readiness program designed specifically for veterans and their families living on fixed incomes. Mentors attended VA benefits update sessions at the Lakewood Ranch Library. They met with county Veteran Services counselors to review key areas of support — disability compensation, pensions, health care, education benefits, home loans, and local financial assistance programs.
That preparation paid off. Our three-session pilot — held on May 14, 21, and 28 at the Manatee County Veterans Services Office in Bradenton — was a success. Instructors and mentors engaged a diverse group of veterans seeking real, practical guidance on everything from basic budgeting to managing the rising cost of essential expenses. Working alongside counselors from Manatee County Veteran Services, every participant had the opportunity to personally review their VA benefits and explore available services to help meet those challenges.
And the results were real. One veteran cut his car insurance bill in half. Another received a job offer from Mission BBQ. A third built a plan to pay down credit card debt. And one veteran’s thoughtful feedback, draft by draft, shaped an updated Survivor’s Benefits Guide — a resource that will now help families well beyond this pilot.
All participants received professionally designed worksheets with local contact information and resources to support follow-through. Veterans also had the opportunity to opt into our Partner Mentor Program — brief monthly check-ins over 3–6 months to help with problem-solving and follow-through.
What’s next: The next session will be held at the VA in February 2027. In the meantime, NIS is working with community partners to offer courses for veterans throughout the year — stay tuned for upcoming announcements.
Our mentor team was outstanding throughout this pilot. If you are interested in joining the mentor team and giving back to our veterans, military families, and first responders, we would love to hear from you. Reach out at drjack@neighborsinservice.org, or connect with us on Team Reach using code AZNIS4VETS.
Valdez Veterans Alliance Services (VVAS)
May brought a first-of-its-kind event to Azario — the inaugural golf tournament hosted by Valdez Veterans Alliance Services (VVAS), where 100 golfers came out for a beautiful day on the course. Proceeds are used to support local veterans and veteran support organizations. Neighbors in Service was proud to serve as a Hole Sponsor, and we look forward to seeing this tournament grow in the years ahead.
Looking ahead, mark your calendars for VVAS’s 4th Annual USMC Birthday Ball & Fundraiser — Saturday, November 14, 2026, 6:00 PM at the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa. The evening honors service members and veterans from all branches of the service around the time-honored Marine Corps Birthday Ceremony, with dinner, auctions, a raffle, music, and dancing in support of Our Next Mission, which provides safe, accessible housing for disabled and at-risk veterans. Tickets are $350 per person — you can also gift one to a Marine — and sponsorships start at $1,000.
To learn more & get tickets · info@vvaservices.org · (941) 201-1070
Our Pillar Partners | Wreaths Across America & Folds of Honor
Two partnerships anchor how Neighbors in Service lives out its mission to Educate, Strengthen, and Honor — Wreaths Across America and Folds of Honor. Both welcome your support year-round.
Wreaths Across America
On December 19, 2026 — National Wreaths Across America Day — Neighbors in Service will lead the local effort to place remembrance wreaths at Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, where more than 1,700 veterans rest. Across Manatee County’s 49 private cemeteries, over 8,600 veterans are buried with no organized effort to honor them all — and we are changing that, starting at Mansion Memorial Park.
Each $17 wreath says: You are not forgotten. Sponsoring early helps us plan and grow toward our goal of 1,700 wreaths, and every wreath placed through our NIS page counts toward that local effort.
Sponsor a wreath through our NIS page: wreathsacrossamerica.org/FL0675P
Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the children and spouses of America’s fallen and disabled service members and first responders. In Florida alone this past year, 845 students received scholarships, while 7,700 qualified applicants nationwide went unfunded. NIS proudly stands with Folds of Honor, a 4-star Charity Navigator nonprofit, in supporting these families.
Support Folds of Honor through NIS: fundraise.givesmart.com/e/jyRPhw
NIS on Substack
Neighbors in Service is now on Substack, publishing monthly community updates (on the first of each month) and in-depth articles (mid-month) on topics that matter to our veterans, military families, first responders, and community supporters.
Our inaugural article spotlighted the Fire Watch program — including Azario’s own participation. This month’s article is dedicated to PTSD Awareness Month, with a focus on June 27, National PTSD Awareness Day.
Follow us on Substack so you do not miss a post.
Neighbors in Service is a 501(c)(3) Florida Nonprofit — Educate · Strengthen · Honor
📧 info@neighborsinservice.org | 📱 Team Reach Code: AZNIS4VETS | 👍 facebook.com/neighborsInservice