Veterans in Our Community: Wired Production Group Supports the Freedom Foundation
Since 2018, Wired Production Group has been proud to support event programming with the Freedom Foundation in Cedar Rapids.
What is the Freedom Foundation?
The Freedom Foundation brings veterans and civilians together to make a difference in the lives of those who have served with a “Veterans Helping Veterans” approach to navigating the challenges of everyday life after serving our country. The organization began in 2013 as a grassroots organization in Cedar Rapids. Ten years later, the Freedom Foundation now serves more than 6,500 veterans annually across Eastern Iowa.
The Freedom Foundation provides numerous programs and services to our Veterans. These programs and services include, but are not limited to:
- A pantry open five days per week
- Indoor and outdoor recreational activities, including shuffleboard and pool
- Veterans Temporary Housing and Shelter Program for homeless and displaced Veterans
- Veterans Emergency Financial Assistance Fund
- Weekly Thursday luncheons, serving Veterans a well-deserved “home-cooked meal”
A Food Pantry for Veterans in Eastern Iowa
The pantry at the Freedom Foundation is something special to the community. This pantry is specifically designed for veterans to receive assistance as no veteran should go hungry. In 2022, the pantry provided over 40,000 pounds of food and personal care items to veterans. It served nearly 2,000 veterans in the Cedar Rapids area.
The pantry is open four days per week and distributes items such as personal care items, household items, and food items, including soups, cereal, pasta, both canned and fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy products. All items in the pantry are provided by the generosity of both corporate and individual donors. If you are interested in supporting, you can learn more about the pantry on the Freedom Foundation website.
Veterans Serve Our Country, Community Serves Veterans a “Home-Cooked Meal”
Every Thursday, community members serve a special luncheon over the noon hour to veterans who choose to attend at the Freedom Foundation. The weekly luncheon includes a variety of menus, including pasta platters, sandwiches, soups, barbecue, salads, and other fun meal options, that are all cooked and served by volunteers. Many businesses and organizations in the area come to serve as volunteers, including our own Client Account Manager, Jason Sicchio.
“I can’t think of a better way to give something back to our community, shares Sicchio. “It’s an honor to be able to serve a good meal or some coffee to the local veterans who have served our country. It reminds me of hanging out with my Grandpa and his pals at his VFW, so it’s a win for me, too.”
Special Events for Veterans in Cedar Rapids
Aside from the weekly lunches, the Freedom Foundation also provides special holiday meals, pool tournaments on the third Saturday of each month, and a Hi-Low card group every Saturday morning. These are just a few of the regularly scheduled events that are available for veterans to keep engaged and entertained in the civilian community.
Veterans and community members are encouraged to support special events and fundraisers hosted by the Freedom Foundation in Cedar Rapids. For example, in the summer months, the Freedom Foundation hosts “Fill the Shelves for Vets” to help stock the pantry. With many veterans hosting their children and grandchildren at home in the summer months, the pantry is typically much busier than other months of the year.
In August each year, the Freedom Foundation host their annual “Veterans Appreciation Event.” The appreciation event hosts hundreds of veterans with live music, free food, and tons of prizes, thanks to the generous support of community sponsors. Wired Production Group has supported this appreciation event for the last three years and looks forward to supporting the event again this summer. 2023 will be the first year that the event will be held at the Freedom Foundation facility.
New Space, New Opportunities for Veterans
On Friday, May 12th, 2023, the Freedom Foundation opened its doors at its new location, just down the road from our Wired Production Group office. The new facility offers over 3,400 square feet of space for veterans to enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow veterans. The space offers amenities such as a computer, a poker table, two big-screen TVs, coffee, snacks, and other refreshments.
At the ribbon cutting, Wired Production Group was proud to provide staging and audio services for the outdoor event. Additionally, our Marketing Director Nicole Schroeder represented the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance as a city ambassador to present the scissors to the Freedom Foundation Executive Director, Lexi Coberly, and her board of directors. With nearly 150 in attendance at the ribbon cutting, we were thankful that the rain held off until the end of the ceremony to attendees could move indoors and continue the celebration.
How to Support Veterans in Cedar Rapids Through the Freedom Foundation
If you are interested in supporting the Freedom Foundation through volunteerism or a donation to the pantry, our Wired Production Group team encourages you to connect with Executive Director Lexi Coberly through the Freedom Foundation website at www.usfreedomfoundation.org. Additional information on making a donation can be found online.
The service of our country’s men and women can never be appreciated enough as they have earned our undying gratitude. When you can, we encourage you to thank a veteran.