By Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
George F. Grundy II started the organization Veterans of Now (V.O.N.) based on his experiences when he got out the military and saw the lack of consistency in the things that were supposed to be available to him as a veteran in need of services.
Grundy is a Marine Corps veteran (2008-2012) and is 100% service-connected disabled.
“I was homeless and dealt with a lot of things,” explained Grundy. “A lot of it was traumatic issues while in the service that I needed assistance with as far as transitioning from active duty to civilian. So, the motivation came from my direct story and then others like me that have issue when it comes to transitioning.”
V.O.N. is one of many veteran organizations in the area.
V.O.N. helps connect veterans to direct services or items needed. They are one of many veteran organizations in the area.
Grundy told the Courier about one Michigan family he assisted.
“They had an issue with their veteran who had been out for a while,” Grundy stated. “He was still young, but had been out for about three or four years. He had for whatever reason just broke down – with his job and all kinds of stuff. It became a nightmare to them to where they had to secure themselves in their rooms at night. This was a person that had their home and everything was working correct in their life until they had a break, which they didn’t realize was going to come. Their family had to support. But then that support became a burden.”
According to Grundy, this veteran had been “living under a shadow” for about four years, but with VON’s help was able to change the course of their life within a matter of months.
Grundy also recently had a veteran call him that had an electrical surge from water damage.
“They needed appliances. They had pretty much lost everything due to this surge. They didn’t have insurance to cover any of the stuff. So, they were pretty much living in the home without their appliances. Within about two or three days, I was able to link them up to an organization that was able to donate most of the appliances to them at no cost. So, washer, dryer, stove, dishwasher and microwave were donated at little to no cost.”
VON does not hold events directly on Veterans Day in order to not compete with other organizations’ events and to allow its members to participate in Veterans Day events.
Instead, VON hosted its 3rd Annual Veterans Motorcade and Celebration on November 4.
This year’s motorcade began at Flint City Hall.
Numerous area veterans were honored at the ceremony, which took place at Berston Field House.
After the ceremony, it proceeded to the Michigan Heroes Museum, in Frankenmuth. This allows people to see the displays of those in Genesee County and Flint veterans who are in the museum, as well as to honor Michigan veterans as a whole.
“It’s an honor to know there’s a place where veterans and civilians to go and see and read the stories and recognize that their freedom comes at a cost – that there are reasons to respect people that sign their name on the line to say that ‘regardless of whether you like me or not or we’re friends or family, I am putting my life on the line for you because I want you to be able to live in the freedoms that you are living in and consistently have those.”
The motorcade originally came about when Delores Johnson presented the idea to V.O.N.
Three years later, the event has quadrupled!
Grundy would like the event to grow to the point there are 1,000 vehicles in the motorcade and to have people decorate their vehicles. The 4th Annual Veterans Day Motorcade and Celebration is being planned for November 2, 2024. Sponsorship opportunities will be available, and other organizations are invited to get involved.
To connect with Veterans of Now, see their Facebook page or YouTube presence, or email veteransofnow.com.
