A community-wide Day of Service on May 30 brought together veterans, local families, and youth volunteers at Cindy Montañez Natural Park for a morning of hands-on work and cross-generational connection.
The message was simple and unmistakable: no job is too small, and no volunteer is too young when it comes to giving back.
Organizing Partners
- VFW San Fernando Post 3834
- Catholic War Veterans
- Veterans Support Initiative
- Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN)
- Cub Scout Pack 3834
Working in close partnership with the City of San Fernando, this five-organization coalition arrived with a shared mission: elevate the community. Volunteers spent the morning clearing overgrown garden beds, restoring green spaces, and collecting trash throughout the park grounds, transforming neglected corners into something the neighborhood can be proud of.
Continuing the Mission at Home
For many of the veterans who showed up that morning, service has never been something they left behind, it simply changed its address. The Day of Service brought together those who served abroad, those who actively serve their community today, and the families who call San Fernando home. United by a common love for their city, they worked as one.
The mission doesn't end when you take off the uniform — it follows you home.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Among the most meaningful moments of the day were the ones that unfolded between the generations. Members of Cub Scout Pack 3834 worked side-by-side with older veterans throughout the morning, and in that exchange something important passed between them, not just the right way to pull a weed or bag a piece of trash, but the deeper values that make community service matter.
Civic duty and community pride aren't concepts easily taught in a classroom. At Cindy Montañez Natural Park on May 30, they were lived. The day demonstrated in the clearest possible terms how different generations can unite under a shared love for their city, and how the legacy of service gets carried forward when experienced hands take the time to show the way.
Get Involved — Join Us
VFW Post 3834, Catholic War Veterans, and Cub Scout Pack 3834 are actively recruiting new members. Whether you're a veteran, a Catholic war veteran, or a family looking to connect your child with Scouting, there's a place for you here.
Learn How To Join
Veteran Support Resources
The Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN), an LA County initiative, provides veterans with peer-led assistance for housing, employment, and mental health. VSI and VPAN work together to ensure no veteran navigates these challenges alone.
