My Veteran hero: Recognizing and honoring Iowa veterans
The Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation launched the My Veteran Hero program in 2022 to thank and recognize veterans across Iowa for their sacrifice and willingness to answer the call to serve our country.
Every day since its launch, Iowans have nominated veterans in their own lives to receive a custom apparel item, choosing between T-shirts, crewneck sweatshirts, and full-zip hoodies. Iowa Select Farms employees then package the apparel each week and ship it directly to the veterans’ homes with a note identifying the nominator.
In 2025, a new offering joined the My Veteran Hero program. The program transitioned to offering custom Iowa Veteran hats to all nominated veterans. Each hat has the branch the veteran served in embroidered on the back for a personal touch.
In 2025, 2,854 veterans were recognized—a 14% increase from 2024. Since the start of the program, 8,030 veterans have received apparel items. 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties had at least one veteran who received an item in 2025, and the veterans lived in 413 different communities in Iowa. Iowans living in 30 different states were also recognized through the My Veteran Hero program. Of the veterans who were recognized, 1,217 served in the Army, 393 in the Navy, 295 in the Air Force, 257 in the Marine Corps, and 15 in the Coast Guard.