Swords to Plowshares Hosts 30th Annual Veterans Day Celebration

Leaders, supporters, and veterans will gather to honor the strength and resilience of veterans while raising vital funds for direct services.

San Francisco, CA, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Swords to Plowshares, the Bay Area’s leading veteran services nonprofit, will host its annual Veterans Day Celebration on Tuesday, November 10, at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. The evening will honor the service and resilience of the veteran community while raising vital funds for the life-changing care Swords to Plowshares provides to thousands of Bay Area veterans each year. 
 
For 30 years, this tradition has brought together veterans as well as community leaders and advocates who are committed to ensuring no veteran is left behind. No Bay Area leader embodies that commitment more than Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Advocate for Veterans Award. 

As she completes her final term in Congress, Speaker Emerita Pelosi caps nearly four decades as a champion for veterans. A longtime Swords to Plowshares Advisory Board member, she has turned to the organization to listen to and learn from the needs of San Francisco veterans, then carried those lessons to Washington.   

In 2000, she won critical funding to open the country’s first supportive housing site solely for veterans, the Jon W. Paulson Veterans Community in the Presidio. As Speaker, she led passage of the PACT Act, expanding care for veterans exposed to Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins, and burn pits. She later secured nearly $1 million in federal funding for Swords to Plowshares’ Veterans Community Center, which offers evening and weekend hours, daily meals, and a welcoming space for veterans to connect with peers and resources. Most recently, she introduced legislation to expand Swords to Plowshares’ supportive housing pilot nationally, bringing a San Francisco model to veterans across the country. 

“Veterans Day is a time to honor the people who served and the community that stands with them,” says Tramecia Garner, executive director of Swords to Plowshares. “This year we’re bringing together some of the nation’s leading advocates for veterans, housing, and social justice to celebrate what we’ve accomplished together, including the upcoming opening of our newest housing site at 1035 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. Progress like this comes from partnership, with veterans, advocates, supporters, and our staff working toward the same goal: a home for every veteran.” 

This year’s celebration holds additional significance as guests will recognize the generation of veterans called to serve after the attacks on September 11, 2001. In commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the celebration will honor Josue Hernandez with the Profiles of Strength Award. A U.S. Marine veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, he overcame housing instability and navigated PTSD by connecting with Swords to Plowshares. Today, he channels his own experiences into his work supporting fellow veterans and pursuing a career in community service. 

Swords to Plowshares’ annual Veterans Day fundraising event also features live music, refreshments, and a silent auction. ‘Hype Queen’ Ari Waller will be the night’s emcee. She made history as the in-arena host for the WNBA Golden State Valkyries and is the proud granddaughter of U.S. Army Private Ira Waller Sr. 

This year’s Veterans Day Celebration is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bay Area supporters including Ron and Gayle Conway, Andrea Evans and Chris Lehane, John Keker, Kay Kimpton Walker and Sandy Walker, Alex and Carolyn Mehran, Jamie and Staci Slaughter, Michael Thiel and Marcie Vu, Meta, and Qatalyst Partners. The Official Media Sponsor is ABC-7 News Bay Area. 

 

See the full list of sponsors and event details on the event webpage: 30th Annual Veterans Day Celebration | Swords to Plowshares 

 

Swords to Plowshares 30th Annual Veterans Day Celebration 
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 
6:00 PM to 10:00 PM   
The Julia Morgan Ballroom 
465 California Street 
San Francisco, CA 94104 

Katie Ettl
Swords to Plowshares
530-218-2147
katie.ettl@stp-sf.org