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The Monday Morning Breakfast Club That Became a Lifeline for Columbia Veterans

Issue #603

November 04, 2025

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

☀️ Columbia’s Wednesday Weather - Mostly sunny w/ high of 75, low of 44

SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE 👇

🇺🇸 The Monday Morning Breakfast Club That Became a Lifeline for Columbia Veterans - and Why Saturday's Celebration Matters

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

The Monday Morning Breakfast Club That Became a Lifeline for Columbia Veterans

Eleven years ago, six veterans started meeting for breakfast on Monday mornings. No agenda. No grand plan. Just coffee and conversation.

Today, that small group has grown into Vet2Vet—a lifeline for veterans across Maury County. And this Saturday, November 8th, they're hosting their fourth annual Veterans Celebration at The Factory at Columbia, bringing together thousands of people for what's become one of Columbia's most meaningful community events.

But this isn't your typical veterans event. There are no speeches from politicians. No formality that keeps people at a distance.

Instead, it's what Marty Ness-White, Vet2Vet's outreach coordinator, calls "a gathering." Live music. Handcrafted goods from local veteran artisans. A ceremony where 25 veterans will receive healing quilts made specifically for them. And everywhere you look—connection.

The success of the event, Marty says, isn't measured in sales or attendance numbers alone—it's about creating space for people to be there for each other.

When Breakfast Became a Mission

For years, that Monday morning group met and grew, eventually landing at Puckett's on the square. The conversations were good. The camaraderie was real. But several members wanted to do more when they saw fellow veterans struggling.

So they started collecting funds—slowly building a way to help in direct, practical ways. By the time Marty found the group four years ago on Veterans Day, they had a clear purpose: help veterans who'd fallen through the cracks of a system that often moves too slowly.

Vet2Vet became something different—a group that could act quickly when someone needed help with rent, a car payment, electricity bills, or even just a ramp installed before knee surgery. Sometimes it was as simple as giving someone a ride or sitting with a veteran in hospice.

With veteran suicide rates remaining alarmingly high—22 or more deaths every day—the organization knows that connection can be lifesaving.

"What's the number one way to prevent veteran suicide?" Marty asked. "Show up. Just show up."

The Kind of Help That Actually Helps

Vet2Vet works with organizations like the Veterans Services Office and Operations Stand Down to address root problems, not just immediate needs. They want to understand what led to the crisis, what's needed to resolve it, and how to prevent it from happening again.

But the money isn't the point. The connection is.

"Sometimes it's just sitting with somebody," Marty said. "Just having a conversation, sharing a meal with somebody could make all the difference. Taking that stress off of someone is what actually helps them step away from that ledge."

Why This Event Matters More Than You Think

Saturday's celebration has grown from a handful of vendors at a small venue to an event that draws a couple thousand people to The Factory at Columbia. This will be their third year there, and they're expecting to break attendance records again.

When you walk in, you'll find about ten different veteran-focused organizations ready to connect people with services. On the other side, sponsors who wanted to be present for the event. Twenty-five vendors—mostly veteran-owned artisans selling handcrafted goods. Nothing resold. Nothing mass-produced. Just local people making beautiful things.

There's Salazar's offering free beard trims to veterans. Franklin Freeze providing five-minute cryotherapy sessions so people can experience what it's like. Cinder Bella Studios wood-burning art will be there. And of course, Hearty Hog—Frank Magana's barbecue operation that funds free barbecue camps for veterans—just to name a few.

Frank, a veteran and former sheriff, discovered that barbecue became a form of therapy for him. So he started teaching other veterans the craft of smoking meat with wood—no shortcuts. Veterans camp together for a weekend, learn the techniques, and walk away with new skills and a tight-knit support group.

"It's step by step and it takes time and patience and focus to create something beautiful," Marty said about Frank's approach. "It's an art form."

Frank and his crew will be smoking meat outside and serving it inside—a limited menu, but if you know Frank's barbecue, you know it's worth it.

Hearty Hog’s Veteran BBQ Camp - Get ready to taste the good stuff on Saturday!

The Ceremony That Brings People to Tears

One of the most powerful moments of the day happens when the Quilts of Valor are presented. Twenty-five local veterans who've filled out applications will receive quilts made specifically for them by a group of women from the American Legion Auxiliary.

The tradition started with Vietnam veterans—men who weren't treated well when they came home. A spouse of a Vietnam vet had the idea of creating healing quilts to wrap around them, helping them feel loved and welcomed home. The practice has continued for all veterans since.

Last year, Vet2Vet surprised the women who make the quilts with handcrafted plaques featuring woodburned images of veterans wrapped in quilts, with their names inscribed on them. It brought the ladies to tears.

The Wall of Honor and a Worry About the Future

Throughout the event, there will be a large canvas where anyone can write the name of a veteran they want to honor—along with their dates of service, wartime, and branch.

There's also a kid zone with balloon animals, face painting, and activities where children can write letters to local veterans. Those letters will be delivered to retirement homes and hospices.

"We want the whole community involved," Marty said. "It's not just for veterans."

But underneath all the celebration, there's a concern that keeps Marty up at night. It's not about the older generations of veterans—they understand the value of community. They show up. They get it.

It's the younger veterans that worry her.

"They don't understand the value of being a part of a veteran community," she said. "They don't feel connected to the old veterans. It's a different war. They're different. They think we just sit around drinking coffee and talking old war stories."

But that's not what happens at all. And the stakes are too high to let younger veterans miss out on this connection.

"Once the older generations are gone, who's gonna support those younger generations?" Marty asked. "We have to pull ourselves together."

The numbers haven't changed: 22-plus veteran suicides every day. And that's just the official count.

Vet2Vet meets at Puckett’s from 7-9 AM every Monday morning for breakfast.

A Story Worth Telling…

When Marty moved to Tennessee from New York, she was missing something she didn't realize she needed. By the time she connected with Vet2Vet four years ago, she was sinking into a darkness she couldn't shake on her own.

"I didn't want to pull the proverbial trigger," she said. "I just didn't want to exist."

The only thing that got her out of the house each week was that Monday morning breakfast.

The connections she made there didn't fix everything overnight. But they led to resources that helped her get the VA disability support she needed. They connected her to Fitzgerald Freedom Ranch, where she found the therapy that changed her life.

Now she's a business owner, runs a Columbia business networking group, and serves as the outreach coordinator for Vet2Vet.

"I'm a part of something much bigger than myself," she said. "I don't feel anywhere close to that dark place anymore. I'm not that person anymore."

Why You Should Show Up on Saturday

This event only works if people come. Not to buy things—though supporting veteran artisans is wonderful—but just to be present.

"I didn't know you were a veteran," is something Marty hears constantly at these gatherings. People reconnect after decades. Friendships form. Support systems are built.

If you're a veteran who hasn't gotten involved with anything like this, Saturday is an easy, no-pressure way to see what the community is about. Browse the vendors. Watch the quilt ceremony. Grab some barbecue. Maybe you'll make a friend. Maybe you'll be exactly what someone else needs.

And if you're not a veteran? Come anyway. Most people either have a parent, sibling, or family member who served—or they at least know someone who has. This is a chance to honor them and understand a community that's doing quiet, powerful work in Maury County.

"Sometimes it's not about what people get out of it," Marty said. "It's the difference they can make with somebody else. Connect with somebody. They might need your connection or your story."

Show up. That's all it takes.

The Vet2Vet Annual Veterans Celebration is Saturday, November 8th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at The Factory at Columbia. Free admission. For more information, visit the event page. 

Know a veteran who should be at this event? Share this story with them!

*Vet2Vet Meets at Puckett’s every Monday morning from 7 - 9 AM. Breakfast is free for first time veteran visitors!

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Wednesday, November 5th

Thursday, November 6th

Friday, November 7th

Saturday, November 8th

Sunday, November 9th

More Events Coming Soon!

👇 Click the Links to Learn About our Local Business Sponsors! 👇

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Thursday, November 6th

Todd Ciprian — Tito’s Spring Hill, 6–9 PM
Gwynne Alden — Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM

Friday, November 7th

Box of Rox — Grinder’s Switch Winery, 6–8 PM
Neal Pennington — McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–9 PM
Mary Lou Lackey — Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM
Troy Kemp — Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Wentzel Brothers Band — Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

Saturday, November 8th

Johnny Jameson & The Empty Pints — McCreary’s Irish Pub, 7–9 PM
Fall Series: The Bourbon Gospel, 7:30 PM
Makin Merri — Rebel Bar & Grill, 7:30 PM
The Howlin Embers — Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Nkahootz — The Boondox, 8 PM
Eden Storm — Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

Sunday, November 9th

Wicked Chowdah — Rebel Bar & Grill, 4 PM

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