There’s a familiar knock at the door, and when Dave, 75, opens it, he finds Project Angel Food volunteer Jackie — Marine Corps veteran, smiling and cradling a week’s worth of meals. He survived Vietnam, a lifetime of invisible wounds, and, most recently, an emergency triple bypass. What he doesn’t think he can survive is recovering alone, with his daughter living in a different city.

Drafted into the Army in 1967 at 19, Dave comes home carrying memories of friends lost too young and the slow burn of PTSD. Diabetes and heart disease follow. “We lose so much in these wars,” he says, voice low. “What you do — you keep people alive. I’m not going to live long on fast food.”

That’s where Project Angel Food steps in. For the 7,157 critically ill people we serve each year, “no one left behind” isn’t a slogan — it’s the standard. We prepare medically tailored meals matched to each diagnosis, deliver them to the door, and provide nutritional counseling that helps clients heal. For people like Dave, that means heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly menus — care that lowers hospitalizations by 63%.

Jackie usually works the prep line — chopping, portioning, sealing. Today she asks to take Dave’s route herself. “‘No one left behind’ is more than words,” she says, setting the meals on his kitchen counter. “It’s our promise — to veterans, and to anyone fighting for their health. Vets share a bond. At Project Angel Food, that bond extends to everyone who’s critically ill.”

In a world that moves fast and forgets faster, Jackie doesn’t. “In life’s chaos, dignity and respect can get lost,” she adds. “Veterans—especially those who came before us — deserve our constant respect. We owe that to them and to each other.”

Dave reads the labels: low sodium, balanced carbs, lean proteins. He smiles. “Everyone at Project Angel Food is incredibly kind, understanding—and funny,” he says. “It feels like family.”

This Veterans Day, honor heroes like Dave with tangible care — meals prepared with precision, delivered with dignity, and guidance that sustains recovery. Please donate today so that seriously ill veterans — and every neighbor in need — know you will not leave them behind.