Endeavor flight attendant Nadine Jones receives the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her work with U.S. veterans.

Laughter echoes through the brick walls as people walk in for a hot meal on a Monday night.

Bustling in the back kitchen and juggling a tray of spaghetti is Endeavor flight attendant Nadine Jones. Nadine, based in DTW, is the president and founder of Love a Michigan Vet Project, a non-profit that “ensures that no veteran goes without.”

Love a Michigan Vet Project hosts monthly dinners at the Emmanuel House Recovery Program, in addition to hosting events during the holidays, planning baby showers for veterans, organizing packing parties to send care packages to those deployed, and much more.

“It’s hard to keep count of how many veterans we’ve helped after ten years, but I love seeing them flourish after they come to our shelter for a while,” Nadine said.

Nadine started the non-profit ten years ago after she worked with veterans through AmeriCorps. She knew her work in assisting veterans couldn’t stop when her service term ended. She was also inspired by her grandfather, who served 28 years in the military.

“I think that veterans gave the ultimate sacrifice, so it’s an honor to give back to them,” Nadine said.

At Emmanuel House, Nadine welcomes each veteran with a warm smile and serves food alongside her volunteer team. It is easy to see the impact Nadine has on those who enter the shelter, as they greet her with hugs and stories.

And, Nadine’s good work over the past ten years has not gone unnoticed. She was recently awarded the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was established by the executive order of President George W. Bush to honor volunteers that give thousands of hours per year to helping others.

“It was a blessing to receive this,” Nadine said. “I just feel like God gave my life purpose, and when you’re walking in your purpose, He opens doors for you, and my non-profit is a door that was opened to help me make a difference.”

Nadine’s name will go down as one of the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, but her work is not yet finished. She hopes to expand to other states, making it a nationwide organization.

Her passion has inspired others to support her mission and give back – including within the Endeavor community.

“There are a lot of Endeavor flight attendants who have volunteered and donated toiletries, food and gifts throughout the years,” said Nadine about the support she has received from her colleagues and her DTW leadership team. “I really like that the company gets involved with volunteering; it’s a great company to work for.”

Whether serving customers up in the clouds, or serving veterans on the ground, Nadine’s love for helping others propels her forward.

“When you like what you do, it doesn’t seem like work – and that’s why it’s easy to balance both flying and volunteering because I enjoy both so much,” said Nadine. “Anyone can be a volunteer and make a difference in other people’s lives, it’s that easy.”