A Dinner, a Community, and a Debt Worth Paying

Rockbridge Area Community Services Hosts Free Veterans Dinner in Hot Springs on June 11th

By Danny Cardwell  |  Allegheny Mountain Radio  |  May 2026

On the evening of Wednesday, June 11th, veterans in the Allegheny Highlands are invited to sit down, share a meal, and simply be recognized for their service. The Hot Springs Fire Department will host a free Veterans Dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m., organized by the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board. Veterans are welcome to bring one guest, but an RSVP is required by May 31st.

Allegheny Mountain Radio sat down with two of the event organizers — BreAnne Rogers, Executive Assistant and Communications Coordinator, and Holly Martin, who works directly with the veteran community — to learn more about what is being planned and why it matters.

Who Is RACSB?

For listeners who may not be familiar, Rockbridge Area Community Services has been serving this region since 1982 — nearly 44 years of work across Rockbridge County, Bath County, Lexington, and Buena Vista. Most people know the organization for its mental health services, but its reach goes well beyond that.

“We mainly focus on three core areas. A lot of people know us for our mental health services, but we also offer substance use treatment and we work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have been an agency since 1982 — coming up on 44 years of serving the community, which is pretty exciting.”  — BreAnne Rogers

How This Dinner Came to Be

The veterans dinner grew directly from the decision to hire a veteran peer support specialist — a role designed to reach out to veterans, share resources, and find out firsthand what that community actually needs.

“We started organizing the dinners and a monthly breakfast in Rockbridge County when we hired a veteran peer support specialist. Part of that role is outreach to the community — to share resources and find out from veterans what they need.”  — Holly Martin

This is the second veterans dinner RACSB has organized. The first was held last summer and went well enough to bring back.

What Veterans Can Expect

The evening is designed to be welcoming, relaxed, and genuinely useful. When veterans walk through the door on June 11th, they will find good food, good company, and real resources.

Catering will again be handled by Puffs Barbeque, which served the first dinner and left a strong impression.

“An incredible dinner by Puffs Barbeque — they catered the last time as well and it was phenomenal. We know veterans are going to be fed very well.”  — BreAnne Rogers

Beyond the meal, there will be a resource table stocked with practical items — trigger locks, cable locks, and medication locking boxes — along with information veterans can take home. A speaker from Purple Heart Homes will also be on hand to discuss the support their organization provides to the veteran community.

“We are going to have representatives from Purple Heart Homes come speak about their organization and the support they can provide. Really, it is a social opportunity — a chance for people to get together, have good food, and just be around each other.”  — Holly Martin

Reaching Veterans Where They Are

One of the driving forces behind events like this is a straightforward recognition: veterans in rural areas can feel overlooked. Holly Martin says that awareness runs through everything RACSB does for this community.

“It is absolutely important to reach out to our veteran population. They have served through their entire lives and their entire mission — and it is important that we give back. We are keeping veterans in mind whenever we do anything new, always trying to figure out what they need from us or from the community, and how we can serve them better.”  — Holly Martin

A Job Opening Worth Noting

RACSB is also currently recruiting for a part-time veteran peer support specialist — a role providing non-clinical, person-centered, trauma-informed support. Anyone in the Allegheny Highlands area who is interested can find the listing at www.racsb.org.

How to RSVP

The RSVP deadline is May 31st. BreAnne Rogers walked listeners through exactly how to register.

“Go to our website at www.racsb.org, click on the events tab, and the veteran dinner will be right at the top. There is an RSVP button right there — click it and you can register for yourself as well as a plus one. The only reason we ask for an RSVP is so we can make sure we have enough food for everyone.”  — BreAnne Rogers

Veterans Dinner at a Glance

  Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2026

  Time: 5:30 p.m.

  Location: Hot Springs Fire Department, Hot Springs, Virginia

  Cost: Free — veterans may bring one guest

  RSVP by: May 31st at www.racsb.org/events

  Job listing: www.racsb.org