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CINCINNATI — With a couple of fleeting days of warmer temperatures amid a winter backdrop, one can’t help but think about spring gardens. For kids who attend Latonia’s Ninth District Elementary School, spring will bring a fresh bounty and a much-needed place to learn and relax thanks in part to a group of veterans.

“It’s really about spreading a little bit of joy, and they get a break from the classroom and get some fresh air,” Ben Basar said. “Enjoy the nice garden we’ve created and participate in it.”

Basar served in the Marine Corps and in his free time has joined the volunteer corps of The Mission Continues’ Cincinnati Service Platoon.

“That desire to continue serving doesn’t leave us when we take off the uniform,” said Nate Swope, founder of Cincinnati Service Platoon. “It’s something that we are as people.”

Swope said he felt a need to continue to give back to the community. The project at Ninth District Elementary School is the second project under the newly-formed platoon with a specific mission.

“This organization brings veterans and other volunteers together to continue serving and helping their communities in ways they can do,” Swope said.

Monica Gomez served in the military and said she has found the comradery she remembers from being in the service helping others as part of the platoon.

“I’d been wanting to do things with veterans and for the community, so it was a great opportunity for me to come out here,” Gomez said. “The reason I liked this is you can bring your families, and we know how important they are to us and how important they are to support what we do. It’s great they can come out here and do it with us.”

There are a number of community partners who’ve helped out on the project, and Swope said they’re always looking for community partners and volunteers for future projects.

“Our main focus is for our veterans to find new missions,” Swope said. “We’d like to find partners and people we can serve and organizations that can benefit from funding and volunteers and we can bring our volunteers and veterans in and help out.”

That said their next mission project is Saturday, Feb. 26 at Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen and Social Center. Additional information and registration can be found on their website.

If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email [email protected]. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.