KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — Many veterans say that after they left the military, they did not receive much guidance on what to do next. A nonprofit wants to fill that gap and be a resource for veterans.

The organization is Hero’s Corner and has been around for about a year. It is located at 4809 Eastern Ave. SE in Kentwood and open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It was built as a one-stop shop for veterans to drop in, find community resources, find support services or even find a place to stay. 

“Once you leave the military base, you’re in the civilian sector and you’re lost. I felt like a fish out of water. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. Everyone was kind of like, I don’t know where to go,” Joan Wallace, program director for Shero’s Corner, said. “We can come to a veteran’s one stop, just like we had in the military. That we can get all the resources we need, we can get the programs we need, we can get child care because we’re veterans.”

The organization is holding a Veterans Luncheon Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to honor our friends and family who serve. Anyone is welcome to attend. There will be food, games and attendees can sit down with veterans and learn about their experiences.

Hero’s Corner is working on improving its facilities, including adding a new space called Shero’s Corner. It will be a place where women veterans can meet and discuss their experiences in their own space and separate from male veterans. 

Wallace said many fellow female veterans do not feel pride in their service or have endured traumas from their time in the military. She said this space is a way for them to relax, talk with others who have similar experiences and find their own community. 

“As a female veteran who has been into trauma, military sexual trauma, or has been through PTSD, being around other males has a trigger. So, with our place, we have Shero’s Corner, where you come into the building, you go into the right and then you’re in your own space,” Wallace said. 

The organization is hoping to have the new space open before Thanksgiving.