Helping Heroes Through Communerosity®

America’s Heroes Enjoying Recreation Outdoors (AHERO) is a local nonprofit organization out of Alabama that connects Veterans with local communities by organizing outdoor events and social gatherings while healing the physical and psychological wounds of war and military service.

“We really appreciate this large donation,” says David Glassman, LtCol, USMC (Ret.), AHERO Vice President. “This will enable us to purchase eight (8) plane tickets for severely wounded, injured and disabled veterans throughout the nation to come here and experience this community’s level of giving, caring and sharing.”

By providing fellowship and mentoring opportunities through recreational activities like fishing, golfing, music and more, AHERO provides a supportive environment enabling Veterans to continue the healing process; allowing service members to focus on their future and reconcile the traumatic events of their past in a healthy and constructive environment.

“PenAir has a long and proud history of servicing our Military and Civil Service personnel,” says Sally Barnes, Communerosity Committee Liaison and Project Assistant for PenAir. “AHERO is a Veteran organization that aligns with our commitment to honoring those that have served and are serving our country. We are excited to have them as a J4C recipient this year and look forward to forging a strong, meaningful partnership for all involved.”

PenAir’s J4C program is an employee-driven fundraising effort, born from the dedication and passion for enhancing the lives of those in the communities where we live, work and serve. Each year, employees nominate and vote for like-minded local nonprofit organizations to champion over the course of a year. Selected charities receive a gift of $4,000, along with a commitment from the credit union’s 332 employees to serve the organization through volunteer opportunities supporting their missions. Funds are raised through payroll deductions, J4C days, and J4C t-shirt sales, then matched by PenAir.

Beyond the check, the J4C program was created as a way for the company to collectively serve our communities, which includes the gift of time. In that spirit, each PenAir employee receives 5 hours of paid time per month to volunteer during working hours with the organization of their choice.

To learn more about AHERO and stay connected with ways to become involved with this community nonprofit, visit aherousa.org.