PLYMOUTH, Ind-- UMatter2 is a nonprofit organization out of Plymouth that aims to support local veterans and first responders.
This organization donates food and resources to support veterans after their service.
The spark of this organization came when Sylvia King lost her uncle and her best friend.
King who founded the organization says, “In 2015 my best friend died. He was a veteran, and he died at the age of 45, it was preventable.”
Sylvia King explains to ABC 57’s Sidney Moore that after losing two important people in her life she had to do something.
King says, “we’ve got to do something. It's not fair that these vets go and give their lives for us they sacrifice so much, and they come back, and they don't get what they need.”
The organization has grown in many ways over the years. They launched the ‘Chicks for Vets’ program in February and since has adopted over 40 chickens.
Now that the chicks have grown, they have started producing over 30 eggs a day.
But for many individuals this program has helped veterans and responders out of dark times.
Patrick Leary, a public relations field officer for UMatter2 explains, “I was going through a rough time in my life, in my marriage and family stuff, about the time we started this, and it was huge for me. It was huge for me to be able to have somewhere to go every day and something to do, and something to do that was positive.”
While these chicks have helped with providing protein to vets and first responders, it also has helped these individuals with PTSD and their mental health. Veterans can sit and pet the chickens and take care of them.
Ruth Dilts, a disabled veteran and UMatter2 personal assistant says “I found my home. I found my home with my family. I just fit in. I felt comfortable.”