Changing Communities One Hero at a Time
With its seventh annual golf outing and gala in the history books, Friends For Heroes Foundation strengthens its commitment to helping wounded warriors and their families.
More than a dozen years ago, a group of six professionals from the Bucks County area combined forces to help an injured soldier and his family. What began as a charity golf outing and banquet with some 80 golfers has since evolved into a full-fledged nonprofit organization devoted to assisting the many military veterans in need who may be unable or unwilling to ask for help.
Friends For Heroes Foundation hosted its seventh annual golf outing on Monday, August 8, at Spring Mill Country Club in the Bucks County village of Ivyland. Although the event had reached capacity—nearly 130 golfers—by early June, non-golfers continued to get involved by making donations. Likewise, corporations and other organizations were encouraged to sponsor holes and flags on the course.
At the banquet after the golf outing, attendees heard from two inspiring speakers: Judge Patrick F. Dugan, a judge with Veterans Treatment Courts; and Janet L. Brennan, the founder and president of Shamrock Reins, a Doylestown-based nonprofit that uses equine therapy to help service members (and their families) who may be suffering from conditions such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or depression.
Many of the same players return year after year because of the camaraderie among golfers and how smoothly the event is run. Of course, they also like the fact that the event supports a noble cause—improving the lives of locally rooted military veterans who were wounded in the line of duty, as well as their families.
Friends For Heroes was founded “to honor and give back to those veterans and their families who have given so much in service to our country.” Simply put, the foundation aims to thank veterans for their service and to ensure that these heroes will not be forgotten. The nonprofit’s six board members include an attorney, a banker, a construction worker, an engineer, a restaurateur, and a teacher. All of them came together to transform the lives of heroes through hard work, good intentions, and a strong sense of community.
Board members Jeffrey Liebmann and Col. Charles S. Hutt spend months preparing for the event every year. Liebmann is a well-respected attorney and the founder of Liebmann Family Law in Newtown, while Hutt is an executive vice president and chief credit officer for Huntingdon Valley Bank.
“We are able to do things for wounded veterans, and all veterans for that matter, that make all of us very proud of this labor of love,” Liebmann explains. “It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth every moment we put into it. We do a lot of good for a group of people who deserve a lot of good to come to them.”
Hutt served 30 years in the U.S. Army, including three combat tours in Iraq. He is proud of the work that Friends For Heroes has done for veterans such as U.S. Army Cpl. Kevin McCloskey, who lost both legs and vision in one eye while serving in Afghanistan.
After the construction of a specially accessible home in Lower Southampton stalled, Friends For Heroes stepped in with the funds and labor to complete the home for McCloskey and his family. The organization also funded the construction of a fence around the home to protect McCloskey’s dog and infant son. The group also started a college fund to make sure the child receives a good education.
“Kevin is what a hero looks like,” Liebmann says. “This inspiring man comes to the golf outing every year, and has become a close friend and role model for the rest of us. He has become a really good golfer, and he now helps the other injured veterans learn how to golf. In fact, he is a better golfer than most of us.”
After 30 years in the military, Hutt has “been where they are,” he says of his fellow veterans. A lot of veterans don’t like to ask for help, and shy away from charity, which is why organizations such as Friends For Heroes are so important.
“I know what some of these men and women went through to get back on their feet,” he adds. “They gave their time and energy to secure the U.S. and keep us out of harm’s way. I can break the ice and ask if they need help. We want to know what we can do to make their lives better and their homes more accessible.”
Friends For Heroes identifies its beneficiaries through local VFWs and other community organizations, as well as through suggestions from fellow veterans. In one example, the group prevented one veteran’s house from going into foreclosure while he was in the hospital receiving treatment.
“As long as he continues to make the payments, the house is secure,” Hutt explains. “We got an unbelievably appreciative thank you for him and his family. This is not just about the money we’ve raised. It’s how we have helped the neighborhood.”
While raising money and awareness for any charitable cause can be daunting, Liebmann says he has been heartened by the many people who continue to be wonderfully “gracious and generous” with their time and resources. Knowing the impact Friends For Heroes has made over the past several years has inspired everyone involved to continue their work.
“There are a lot of people who are deserving of assistance,” says Liebmann. “We choose to help veterans in our area who need help. I believe in the saying, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ This is the least we can do for these deserving veterans and their families.”
For more information on Friends For Heroes Foundation, visit friendsforheroes.com. For more information on Liebmann Family Law, visit liebmannfamilylaw.com or (215) 860-8200.
Photo courtesy of Friends For Heroes Foundation
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, July 2022.
