Brewed Awakenings Donates Proceed of Sales to Vietnam Veterans April 17

Every month, Brewed Awakenings Café, located at Michigan Avenue and Moon Road, donates a portion of its proceeds to a local non-profit organization. On April 17, Brewed Awakenings will donate 20 percent of its proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans of American, Charles S. Kettles Chapter 310.

The VVA invites people to stop in for coffee and perhaps chat with local veterans.

The local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, which meets at the VFW Post 423 at 3230 Wagner Road, is one of the most decorated chapters in the country. It was named “National Chapter of the Year” in 1999 and 2007. The organization is dedicated to advocating for and supporting Vietnam Veterans. Its motto is “Never Again Will a Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.”

The organization does so in many ways. Each year they serve Thanksgiving dinner to all residents of Dawn Farms. The group provides the annual Christmas Party at the Veterans Hospital in Ann Arbor. Every February, the group salutes hospitalized veterans. The local chapter also provides undergarments and robes for hospitalized veterans.

For almost 15 years the VVA has sent care packages to service men and women in harm’s way. In all, more than $4,000 care packages have been sent – costing a whopping $82,000 in postage.

The local VVA also maintain the Washtenaw County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located at the Ypsilanti Township civic center on Huron River Drive. The memorial honors 76 people who died in Vietnam and two veterans who were missing in action.

Chapter 310 was recently named in honor of retired US Army Lt. Col. Charles S. Kettle. A native of Ypsilanti, Kettles was a helicopter pilot who credited with saving the lives of 40 soldiers in Vietnam. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on July 19, 2016.

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