August at Walking With Honor: Community, Connection, and Reasons to Celebrate

August brought long, hot days, new friendships, plenty of dogs to spoil, and some meaningful reminders of why we do this work.

We started the month at Veterans Resource Alliance’s VetFest, where veteran service organizations came together in one place for our veterans and their families. Seeing so many organizations, supporters, and community members connect was an incredible way to kick off August. It was a long, hot couple of days, but that didn’t stop more than 7,000 veterans and their families from coming out!

After our Honor’s Legacy Bash in July and VetFest in August, our board took some much-needed time to decompress. Running a nonprofit alongside work, family, and everyday responsibilities takes a lot of energy. Taking a breath gave us a chance to appreciate everything we had accomplished together before heading into the next round of events.

And there were plenty of those!

The Free Riders Rider Club invited us to Candia Bike Night at the Barnyard Venue. They gather in the parking lot each Monday from May through September, weather permitting, and we appreciated the opportunity to join them, meet new people, and share what Walking With Honor is all about.

We also joined our friends at 603 Dog Friendly for Bark in the Park: Wags Around the World at Rollins Park—and boy, was that fun!

As much as we love our veteran events, there is something special about a park full of dogs. We get to meet people, talk about our mission, hand out treats, and, of course, pet as many dogs as possible. It’s a pretty great combination. These events also introduce Walking With Honor to people who might not otherwise hear about our work.

One of August’s biggest reasons to celebrate, though, belonged to one of our veterans.

Some of you know Savannah, the first veteran who trusted our process and was paired with Haven. In August, Savannah was promoted at work and began running events of her own.

This is HUGE, and we are so proud of her.

We have had the privilege of watching Savannah grow since she first welcomed Haven into her life. Seeing the difference between those early days and where she is now has been incredibly meaningful. Savannah and Haven are still in training, and both continue to make progress. Her promotion is her accomplishment, and we are grateful to be alongside her as she takes these next steps.

August also brought opportunities to support veterans and their families behind the scenes.

We don’t often share this work, but we wanted to give you a glimpse of the ways community partnerships can help beyond our dog programs.

A call from our friend Caitlynn at Annie’s Angels to Faith started with a question about where to hold an event. A few conversations later, Walking With Honor, Veterans Resource Alliance, and Annie’s Angels had worked together to help a disabled veteran obtain a power wheelchair, a shower chair, and a lift to help him stand and move more easily.

It was a reminder of what can happen when people know who to call—and everyone comes together to help.

We also helped two families prepare for the school year.

For a seven-year-old facing the start of school without the essentials, we provided a back-to-school basket filled with supplies, along with a gift card for school shopping.

For teenage twins—a boy and a girl—who already had their supplies but needed school clothes, we helped them get ready to walk into the new year feeling confident.

We do this because no veteran or their family should feel left behind or forgotten. Sometimes support means a dog. Sometimes it means mobility equipment, school supplies, or clothes for a fresh start. Each opportunity matters to the family receiving that help.

We wrapped up August with more opportunities to table alongside our friends at VRA and New England Battalion, reconnect with familiar faces, and meet new friends.

We were also honored to be invited by Service Dogs NH to the New Hampshire State House, where we met Governor Kelly Ayotte as she proclaimed September Service Dog Awareness Month. Being there with others who understand the impact of service dogs was a meaningful way to close out a busy month.

August was filled with love, friendship, laughter, and moments that reminded us how much a community can accomplish together. To everyone who stopped by our tables, shared our mission, partnered with us, or trusted us to be part of their journey: thank you.

As the event season begins to wind down, we are gearing up for some exciting—and BIG—announcements. We can’t wait to share what’s next.