DANVILLE, Ind. - TelAve -- The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County  will mark Veterans Day with a Sunday service on how gaming and community help veterans and active-duty service members find connection and support. Daniel Holton from Stack Up  will speak November 15, 2026, at 10 a.m. at UUCCHC, 95 N. Jefferson St. in Danville.

Veterans, active-duty service members, military families, veteran service organizations and the wider community are invited.

Stack Up brings active-duty military personnel, veterans and civilian supporters together through gaming and geek culture. Its work promotes positive mental health and addresses veteran suicide through community outreach, shared experiences and peer support. Holton will explore how everyday opportunities to connect can help people feel less alone.

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"Honoring veterans includes making room for the lives they are living now," said Rev. Dr. Sarah Ratekin, a Navy veteran and UUCCHC's Membership and Outreach Chair. "A shared game can give someone a reason to show up, start a conversation and come back. Those connections matter, and we want to help create more places where everyone, including veterans and service members, knows they are welcome."

That focus also informs Caring CommUUnity, UUCCHC's grant-supported series of inclusive public gatherings. Supported by the Hendricks County Community Foundation, the initiative creates opportunities for neighbors to meet, build friendships and develop a sense of belonging through shared activities.

The congregation's Gaming Guild puts that approach into practice. Gatherings around tabletop games, including Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer 40k, give people something to enjoy together while getting to know one another. Beginners and experienced players are welcome, and participation does not require church membership or religious affiliation.

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The November 15 service connects these local efforts with Stack Up's work (https://www.stackup.org/), showing how gaming can create support and lasting friendships among veterans, service members and civilian neighbors.

"We want people to have somewhere to go where someone is glad they came," Ratekin said. "Whether that connection starts over a game, a song or a cup of coffee, we can make room for it."

Coffee hour will follow the service, offering time for attendees to meet and continue the conversation. Attendees are encouraged to bring a friend or share the invitation with their military and veteran networks. More info at https://uucchc.org/

In keeping with the congregation's UU values of inclusion and respect for different beliefs, people of all faith traditions and those with no religious affiliation are welcome.