As the Canadian Walk for Veterans gets underway, we would like to profile one of the many incredible people and organizations that are standing shoulder to shoulder with Veterans across Canada on September 21 and 22.

The Order of St. George of Canada and the Americas was established in 2003 and continues a 694-year-old tradition. Its forerunner was initially founded in 1326 in Hungary, as the first secular and charitable royal military order of its kind.

The charity supports Canadian and American military personnel, first responders, and their families, requiring aid as a direct result of stressful duties from service. The Order also supports other eligible Canadian organizations that work towards the welfare of Veterans, first responders, or their families.

We spoke to Allan Plett CD KGCStG, Order of St George, Grand Priory of Canada, about the connection between codes of chivalry, the importance of service, and supporting those who served.

What about True Patriot Love’s work or mission is meaningful for members of The Order?

Many members of the Order are currently serving with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and are Veterans themselves. True Patriot Love’s mission as “Canada’s Foundation for the military community, working to support military members, Veterans and their families at every stage for their journey” very much resonates with the membership of the Order and closely aligns with our own mission statement. These synergies energize the collaboration between the two organizations.

How has the Order supported True Patriot Love?

The Order of St. George first engaged True Patriot Love in 2021 in the aftermath of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. The tragic fall of Kabul brought to bear many humanitarian requirements that had linkages to Canada. The Order recognized these needs and made the decision to support mental health programs for the Veterans who had worked so closely with the Afghan interpreters who were instrumental to Canadian military operations. The Order launched a three-month national campaign in the fall of 2021 and raised over $55,000. True Patriot Love and the Order agreed that True Patriot Love would distribute the funds through their extensive network and provide feedback.

If you were asked by another foundation about getting involved with True Patriot Love, what would you tell them?

The commitment and dedication of the True Patriot Love staff to their mission of supporting Veterans and their families is one of the main reasons why The Order chooses to collaborate with them. The Order of St. George is honoured to collaborate with True Patriot Love, which is a highly respected supporter of the CAF and its Veterans, and looks forward to exploring new opportunities to work together.

What role does The Order play in the lives of serving members, Veterans and their families?

The Order and its Priories are deeply committed to supporting CAF members, Veterans and their families, as well as the Cadet and Junior Canadian Ranger programs. Priories determine what charitable organizations to support and include, among others, Military Family Resource Centres, Paws Fur Thought, Citadel Canine, Homes for Heroes and Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS).  On a national level the Order supports the Canadian Walk for Veterans, and has been a significant donor to Soldier On and Support Our Troops through Fairways for Heroes. All these worthy causes deserve support and the Order is honoured to be affiliated with them.

Service is one of the core Chivalric Values – how would you describe the importance of service?

It is often cliché to say “service before self”, but for The Order this statement is not just a cliché, but one of the pillars of the Order’s set of chivalric values: Faith, Service and Honour.  The personal values that the Order considers when inviting potential members, like integrity and compassion, are the foundation of our membership. Service to others is what the Order is all about.