Veterans Inc. is back to hosting its annual Veterans Day Pancake Breakfast in person November 11, following a virtual option last year due to Covid-19. 

“For Veterans Day, it is really important to come together as a community to thank those who have given us so much,” said Raymond Bennett, Government Affairs Manager of Veterans Inc.. “It’s a way for us to do something for those who have done so much for us.”

The organization is a national leader in ending homelessness among veterans. Veterans Inc. has one of the highest rates in the nation for transitioning veterans out of homelessness, at 85 percent. It provides a host of critical support services to help veterans and their families in Worcester and beyond. Veterans Inc. has helped over 85,000 veterans to date across all six New England states through a variety of services and programs. 

Since 1994, the organization has hosted a pancake breakfast on Veterans Day to honor those who have served our country and their families. 

“Our pancake breakfast is a little bit of a tradition here in Worcester,” Bennett said.. “It’s a way not only for us to say thank you to our veterans but to say thank you to the community as well for all of the support we get from the city.”

The free pancake breakfast will take place at Veterans Inc., 69 Grove Street in Worcester from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Following the breakfast, participants can catch the Veterans Day Parade which starts at 11 a.m. and will pass Grove Street. 

“It’s almost like a makeshift review stand for the parade,” Bennett said. “We can see all of the participants.”

The parade will begin at Lancaster and Grove, according to Bennett and continue to Worcester’s World War I Memorial.  

Last year, due to the pandemic, the pancake breakfast was almost like curbside pickup. Community members picked up their meals and ate them at their own homes.

“It’s an event we look forward to each year,” Bennett said. “The last year and a half really have been hard on our staff, our clients. We haven’t been able to have volunteers back in our building at the same level. So it will be nice to have this event and show the veterans the thanks and respect that they’re due.”

The pancake breakfast is the second event in November that Veterans Inc. is hosting. This past weekend, the organization hosted a Run4Veterans 5k race/walk at Wormtown Brewery, at 72 Shrewsbury St.  The run was sponsored by Berkshire Bank, Cornerstone Bank, ESG, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, Tito’s, Braman, Good Gold Coffee Roasters, a Point32HEalth company, Bay State Physical Therapy, National Grid, and People’s United Bank.

“It was a fun day,” Bennett said. “The excitement among our supporters was incredible. The City of Worcester was so helpful in getting the police detail and keeping everybody on the road.”

There were about 240 runners, according to Bennett. 

Later this month, Veterans Inc. will be hosting a Holiday Harvest for in-need in-active and active service members and veterans as well as their families. The food distribution will take place November 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Basically anybody that needs it can get a turkey, can get a pie, some stuffing, fresh produce, and take that box home and have a ready to cook meal when they get home,” Bennett said. “That’s probably the event that people here are most proud of…It’s great to get some Thanksgiving food to families that could really use it so they have at least one meal so they don’t have to worry about where it’s coming from.”

Thanksgiving boxes include a turkey and all of the fixings. All participants who pre-register and attend this year’s Holiday Harvest will be entered into a raffle to win one of three gift cards.

To sponsor or donate to the Harvest go to  Sponsorship Options (donorperfect.net)

Bennett said that Veterans Inc is most in need of frozen turkeys. He also added that canned gravy and canned cranberry sauce are also hard to come by and would be appreciated.

“Really anything that people donate, we really appreciate,” Bennett said. “Our tagline is ‘They were there when we needed them, now it’s time for us to be there when they need us.’ These are just days of service when we can put that into action. It’s really amazing and inspiring to see how much the community resonates with that.”