Veterans face a 57% higher risk of suicide. In Benewah County, Hank Thornton brings hope.
Sometimes hope starts with a simple knock on the door. For six years, Hank Thornton has served as President and CEO of the Veteran’s Outreach Center in St. Maries, Idaho, visiting hundreds of veterans who need someone to listen. More than once, those visits have saved lives.
“Our goal is to prevent veteran suicide in our county,” Hank shares. “For most of the veterans I call on, the biggest problem is loneliness. There’s nobody there for them.”
The Veteran’s Outreach Center is a tight-knit community where veterans help one another find belonging and renewed purpose. Hank oversees services ranging from mental health support to daily meals and social events. He’s available around the clock for veterans in crisis, but showing up in person has always mattered most.
“When we show up, we bring hope,” he says. “I tell veterans, ‘You’re not alone. You have me, and you have the center.’”
A veteran himself, Hank helped launch the center in 2018 after seeing too many local veterans suffer in silence. With help from the community, a safe gathering place was created where veterans could share meals, stories, and strength. Support from Innovia Foundation’s Community Grants Program—made possible by generous donors—has fueled the center’s growth every step of the way.
Generosity has the power to change the world. When you give, you get. And I’ve never gotten so much in my life.”
A recent $15,000 grant allowed the center to move into a new facility with a fully equipped kitchen, expanding its capacity to serve veterans and families.
“The partnership between the Veteran’s Outreach Center and Innovia Foundation has helped the center grow at exactly the right time,” says Alex Barta, a member of Innovia’s Leadership Council for Benewah County. “Its impact on our community is immeasurable.”
Nearly one-third of the more than 11,200 residents in Benewah County are connected to the veteran community. The center is constantly seeking new ways to meet the needs of the broader community. This year, they opened their doors to high school students seeking mental health and grief support. Because of people like Hank and the generosity of donors, lives are being changed—and saved—every day.
“Generosity has the power to change the world,” Hank says. “When you give, you get. And I’ve never gotten so much in my life.”
