Humboldt Heroes honors Rená Maveety, Coast Guard veteran and veterans service officer

This month, Rená Maveety was honored by Humboldt Heroes for their monthly ceremony. Maveety is a Coast Guard veteran and a veterans service officer with the Humboldt County department of health and human services.

“It feels amazing to receive this award,” Maveety said. “It’s an opportunity to be acknowledged myself as a veteran and it also acknowledges my work helping veterans for almost 20 years.”

Pierre Charbonneau, a fellow veteran, spoke at the ceremony.

“We consider her to be the angel of all veterans,” Charbonneau said.

Seven years ago, the non-profit organization was founded by Scott Hammond.

“It’s our chance to say thank you and give them that recognition, that appreciation that they deserve,” Hammond said. “And it’s just a real honor to do it.”

Maveety helps veterans receive benefits that many did not know they qualified for.

“I truly want to see that every veteran gets every benefit possible. And it’s also very fun that as things change, I get to reconnect with them, make sure they’re still up to date,” Maveety said. “It’s been really unique to see veterans, kids, go into the service and then come out of the service. So I become part of it, part of their family, trying to help them along the way.”

Maveety wants to inspire veterans to take advantage of what is owed to them.

“I encourage all veterans to stay connected,” Maveety said. “Stay connected with the benefits, stay connected with their families, stay connected with the community. There’s so many programs out there, groups that want to help connect them and have them have the best life possible.”