RUSTON, LA, UNITED STATES, December 3, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Larry Garner is a veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2. He returned with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. His only income is his VA disability. He currently lives with his mother, and does not have any sort of transportation. Morgan McGough also served in Iraq, but he didn’t meet Larry until both were back in the states. They became friends, and McGough decided to see if he couldn’t make some good things happen for Larry by nudging him in a positive direction.
Larry Garner dreams of becoming a chef. Recently the Wounded Warrior project sent Larry to San Antonio to attend a one week Healthy Techniques boot camp. The cooking boot camps are four-day workshops hosted by the Culinary Institute of America. They are a way for veterans and active military personnel, and their spouses, to connect outside of the military setting. It also helps them learn how to prepare healthier meals. Larry will attend the Level Two Session in March of 2015.
Meanwhile, Morgan nudged him into taking part in the Gumbo Cook Off at the Pilot Club at the Downtown River Market. Programs at the Downtown River Market are supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of Arts, and also supported by a number of business sponsors. The Gumbo Cook-Off is a large community event – and Larry won third prize! That is surely a measure of his ability as a cook.
Morgan notes that, “This guy has a heart of gold and loves to see people's reactions when they try his food.” Clearly, Larry is a talented cook, loves to prepare food for others. Morgan goes on to add that Larry, who has received life-time injuries, and has served his country, deserves better than what he is getting. So Morgan set up the Opie’s Food Service Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to get a food truck for Larry. Larry would then be able to cook healthy food, and drive around the area to cater to the lunch crowd. The two of them are sure that Larry could whip up better lunch food than is currently available.
To show his support, Morgan has created laser cut fleur-de-lis key chains for contributors who donate $10 to the Opie Food Service crowdfunding campaign fund. Contributors can also obtain a t-shirt with the Opie’s Food Service Logo, as well as a chef coat with their name embroidered on it.
Wounded Warrior is a non-profit program designed to help veterans re-adjust to civilian life, and to help them feel less isolated. There are many young men like Larry, who have talents that only need a little nudging – the kind that Morgan is giving to Larry – to be able to support themselves and their families.
The Culinary Institute of American has centers in California, Texas, New York and Singapore. It offers associates and bachelor degrees in cooking, as well as certificate programs. CIA is a not-for-profit institute, focused on training people who love working with food.
The crowdfunding campaign for Opie’s Food Service will end December 18, 2014 – just in time to make a super holiday gift for a talented young man, with a passion for cooking. Larry, and all our veterans, deserve to be remembered, and deserve our support. These brave young men and women who volunteer to serve and protect should be able to come home to opportunities and honor. They should be remembered the year-round, but there is no better time than the holiday season to pay back to them a little bit of what they have given.
People like Larry are not asking for handouts; they are asking for an opportunity to make their lives as normal as they possibly can. Or maybe, they are asking to make them just a little bit extra ordinary – because they have the need and the drive to succeed.
If this isn’t a good time for you to contribute monetarily to this crowdfunding campaign, you can still help by telling other people about it. Post it on your Facebook account or tweet it on Twitter. Tell a friend or two, and encourage them to support Larry and other veterans from all wars and of all ages. Reward their efforts, for they have surely given of themselves to all of us.



About: Morgan McGough and Larry Garner are veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2. They met after they had both returned to the States. Morgan met Larry in a bar, and Larry even dated Morgan’s sister. Morgan was impressed with Larry’s intense love of cooking, and hoped he could help his friend develop a business from his passion.

Morgan McGough
Opie's Food Service
www.facebook.com/OpiesFS
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