Retired Air Force Sgt. From Irvington Now Helps Homeless Veterans – Newark, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ —A retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant from Irvington recently earned a big thank-you for helping homeless veterans in her home county.

On Wednesday, Cheryl “Kit” Turner was awarded the 2020 Essex County Community Star Award during a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Newark.

Turner, a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant, is the founder/CEO of New Hope Village 4 Veterans, a group that assists homeless veterans.

The 2020 Essex County Community Star Award plaque states:

“Cheryl ‘Kit’ Turner has never stopped serving her country and her community. While in the Air Force, she attained the rank of master sergeant specializing as a prefabrication and parachute specialist. Upon retiring, she joined the Army National Guard and then transferred to the Air Force Reserves where she worked in the Air Med Evacuation. Even after her second retirement from the military, Kit’s dedication to duty was not complete as she became the first female commander of American Legion Post 251 in Montclair and then repeated the feat when she took over leadership of VFW Post 1941 in Irvington. Never slowing down, Kit has turned her attention to helping a vulnerable population – our homeless veterans. As the founder and CEO of New Hope Village 4 Veterans, she is spearheading efforts to assist veterans with housing, clothing, medical care, food and employment. A trailblazer in the military and her community, we thank you, Kit, for your service to our country and for helping others.”

“I always wanted to wear the uniform,” Turner said. “It’s been a great honor and I love doing what I do.”

“I understand what our veterans are going through, and I want to let them know that someone cares about them,” Turner added.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill said that what Turner has done, both in the service and at home, is tremendous.

“A lot of pressure is placed on the shoulders of our veterans and to have someone like Ms. Turner here to support them when they come home is so important,” Sherrill said.

Other local officials and community leaders offered high praise for Turner’s contributions:

NJ State Senator and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz – “We pay a lot of attention to the military in times of war and it’s essential that we pay as much attention when our military comes home. Kit Turner demonstrates there is a still a great need to provide support to the men and women who have served their country.”

Essex County Freeholder Vice President Wayne Richardson – “We appreciate Kit Turner’s dedication to her military service and for her commitment to helping homeless veterans through her foundation.”

Bill Squires, 2018 Essex County Community Star Award honoree and Navy veteran –“What a veteran does after they serve their country is just as important as what they do while they are serving in the military. We can’t forget about our veterans who are homeless and that’s why the work being done by Kit Turner is so important.”

The location of the ceremony was no coincidence, officials said.

According to an Essex County news release:

“Essex County Veterans Memorial Park became the first new Essex County park developed in Newark in 80 years when it opened in September 2009. It was created on the site of an antiquated parking garage that opened in the 1960s and had become an community eyesore. The 2.7-acre park has about 400 trees, shrubs and perennials, two small meadows, the Armed Forces Memorial, walking paths and decorative metal archways at the entrances. The Armed Forces Memorial includes a circular water fountain surrounded by 10 flagpoles and a short granite wall. The flags of the seven branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard – fly from 25-foot poles while the New Jersey State flag and Essex County flag fly from 30-foot poles and the American flag flies from a 35-foot pole at the center of the display. At the base of each flag pole on the granite wall is the official agency or government seal.”

“Throughout our country’s history, brave men and women have put their lives on hold to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces at home and abroad,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Our Essex County Veterans Memorial Park was created to provide our veterans with a place to find serenity and comfort and provide a constant reminder to the public about their contributions and sacrifices,” DiVincenzo continued. “We are proud to stand with our veterans at this important occasion, give them our respect and thank them for representing our country with valor and bravery.”

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