Turning Points in America held a complimentary breakfast on Saturday, March 10 at Applebee's in Jacksonville's St. Johns Town Center to raise funds, honor Benghazi victims and salute veterans in the community.
The event featured live music from the "Let Freedom Sing Chorus” along with a raffle and silent auction. Veterans, military and first responders from the Veterans Enforcers Military Association attended the breakfast, along with representatives from the Clara White Mission.
Beth Heath, the president of Turning Points in America, said she was "very pleased" with the event.
"People have come to me and said, 'This was so much fun,'" she said. "It was different and different is fun ... It was a novel event."
Heath was happy with the turnout and grateful for the local donors who funded the breakfast. The Turning Points in America president said the breakfast was a way to honor veterans and pay tribute to Benghazi victims who were "abandoned" by their country.
Additionally, Heath noted the event helped fund the printing and advertising of a veterans small business directory, which provides support to veteran business owners and offers various incentives.
"We work with veteran organizations throughout the community that provide direct assistance to veterans," she said. "We've told them, ‘When you have a need, let us know, because we will do a canvas to address that need.’"
Turning Points in America also hosts an annual Benghazi memorial, and Heath said the organization is committed to defending equal rights.
Steve Reynolds, a volunteer for Turning Points of America, said the primary focus of the organization is exposing government corruption and getting people to participate in the political process.
"Most of us got together because of our individual views on the Benghazi incident," he said. "[Benghazi] was a horrible, horrible corrupted mess that took place and the government, instead of telling the truth and allowing the people to accept the truth, they lied to us."
Reynolds said volunteering with Turning Points and taking part in local events – such as the March 10 veterans breakfast – is his way of getting involved instead of complaining at home.
"You can't change the world in just one day," he said. "Being involved in the organization we touch a few people at a time and it spreads. As we learn to focus and get the organization working better, we focus on bringing more people in. People need to get involved."
