A recent donation serves as a good reminder of a jewel in our midst.

Katie Penley and Sharey Sveda recently presented a donation to the Allegheny Valley Veterans Center from the annual Support Our Veterans Golf Scramble in June at Jackson Valley Golf Course.

Over the last eight years, Penley and Sveda have raised more than $25,000 for various Warren County support organizations through the Support Our Veterans golf scramble, with recent donations going to the Allegheny Valley Veterans Center.

Kudos to Penley and Sveda for their continuing support of the veterans center, because the center fills an incredibly important niche in our general region.

The Allegheny Valley Veterans Center is supportive housing for homeless veterans in Clarendon that serves Warren, Potter, Elk, Forest, McKean, Crawford, Venango, and Erie counties. It provides more than just a roof, with veterans who make their way to Clarendon receiving case management to assist them with developing goals to transition from the veterans center into permanent housing.

Those who want to help can drop donations at the Allegheny Valley Veterans Center, 100 N. Main St., Clarendon, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donate money through the donation tab at avvc.us.

Progress has been made over the years in helping house homeless veterans. While there is still much work to be done nationally, the Allegheny Valley Veterans Center is making a difference in our eight-county region. That’s a testament to the vision of Tom Eaton, the center’s board president, and those who joined with him to put in the work that took the Allegheny Valley Veterans Center from a vision on paper to a reality that helps veterans every day. And it’s a testament to those like Penley and Sveda who find ways to support the center every year.