Nation’s Finest aims to help Northern California veterans find care
THIS YEAR’S THEME IS FOREVER GRATEFUL. WELL, HELPING VETERANS ACHIEVE SAFETY, STABILITY AND FULFILLMENT. THAT’S BEEN THE MISSION OF NONPROFIT NATION’S FINEST FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY NOW. AND THIS MORNING, THE NEWLY APPOINTED CEO, CHRIS FLAHERTY, IS JOINING US NOW TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS ITS MISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU SIR. IT’S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN CEO FOR JUST OVER OR JUST UNDER A YEAR. PRETTY MUCH. WHAT HAVE WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS FAR AS BEING SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT VETERANS FACE RIGHT NOW? WELL, AS OBVIOUSLY A VETERAN MYSELF, JUST THE TRANSITION BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY IS A RECURRING THEME THAT MANY VETERANS, INCLUDING MYSELF, STRUGGLE WITH. AND SO AT NATION’S FINEST, WE LOOK TO PROVIDE THAT CONNECTION, PROVIDE THAT COMMUNITY SO THAT THAT JOURNEY ISN’T DONE ALONE. IT’S WITH A FELLOW VETERAN. IT’S WITH A COMMUNITY THAT’S THERE TO WELCOME YOU HOME. AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. NOW, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT NATION’S FINEST, IT’S AN ORGANIZATION THAT’S BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. BUT I GOT TO IMAGINE YOU’RE STILL LEANING ON WORD OF MOUTH TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. YEAH, MOST CERTAINLY. AND WITH THE VETERAN COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR, THAT’S HOW WE DO GET THE WORD OUT. BUT WE ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT HERE IN SACRAMENTO, BOTH IN WEST SACRAMENTO AND ALSO IN RANCHO CORDOVA AT THE MATHER VETERANS VILLAGE. BUT WE’RE ALSO UP THROUGH THE NORTH VALLEY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ALL THROUGHOUT. WE’RE ON THE CENTRAL COAST AND ALSO IN NEVADA AND ARIZONA. I KNOW THAT AGAIN, THIS IS YEAR ONE FOR YOU. WELL, I’M SURE YOU HAVE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT YOU’D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ATTACK, BUT WHAT SITS NEAR NEAREST TO THE TOP OF THAT AGENDA RIGHT NOW AND THAT YOU’D REALLY LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HELP VETERANS WHO ARE IN NEED RIGHT NOW. SO EVEN THOUGH NATION’S FINEST HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS, AND WE STARTED OUT SPECIFICALLY SERVING HOMELESS VETERANS AND THOSE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, WHAT I AM LOOKING TO DO IS TO ALLOW OR TO LET ALL VETERANS KNOW THAT WE’RE HERE FOR YOU, REGARDLESS OF YOU’RE HOUSING, INSECURE, OR JUST A VETERAN WHO WANTS TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HERE TO PROMOTE AND BUILD UPON. BECAUSE THAT FULL SPECTRUM OF SERVICE IS WHAT WE ALL ARE LOOKING TO DO, BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE CONNECTIONS ARE MADE. THAT’S WHERE REALLY THAT JOURNEY OF TRANSITION REALLY COMES TO FULFILLMENT. WHERE DO YOU FIND MAYBE SOME OF THE DISCONNECT HAPPENS WITH FOLKS WHO MIGHT EVEN BE IN NEED OF SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT YOU CAN HELP CONNECT THEM WITH, BUT MAYBE THEY’RE JUST NOT. AGAIN, FINDING THAT CONNECTIVITY RIGHT NOW. YEAH, I THINK A LOT OF IT IS, JUST AS YOU ALLUDED TO, YOU KNOW, THERE’S THAT WORD OF MOUTH. BUT JUST HAVING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR AND WHAT THOSE BENEFITS COULD BE. SO AT NATION’S FINEST, YES, WE’LL CONNECT YOU IF YOU QUALIFY FOR VA BENEFITS, WE’LL BE THERE TO SUPPORT, BUT IT GOES WELL BEYOND THAT. SO IT’S IT IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITY HERE IN THE STATE OR LOCAL LEVEL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THE VETERAN THAT THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, AND THEY JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO SHOW THEM THE WAY OR SOMEBODY TO BE THERE TO WALK WITH THEM ON THAT JOURNEY, BECAUSE IT CAN BE DIFFICULT. I MEAN, I KNOW IN MY OWN PERSONAL TRANSITION, YOU KNOW, I WAS SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY OVER 28 YEARS. AND WHEN I WENT HOME, IT WAS MY WIFE WHO HELD THE MIRROR UP AND SAID, HEY, YOU THINK YOU’RE OKAY, BUT YOU’RE NOT. AND AND SO LET’S ADDRESS THIS TOGETHER. AND NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT PERSON AT HOME THAT THEY CAN RELY ON TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO HOPEFULLY THIS MIGHT BE THE MIRROR FOR SOMEBODY RIGHT NOW. WHERE SHOULD THEY GO IF THEY WANT TO REACH OUT. SO I WOULD START OUT AT OUR WEBSITE, NATION’S FINEST ORG, BUT ALSO WE HAVE 16 BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE. SO AS WELL AS A COUPLE IN ARIZONA AND NEVADA. SO AGAIN, JUST FIND US. WE’LL FIND YOU. WE ALSO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE CALL THAT IS A MOBILE SUPPORT UNIT OR MOBILE SERVICES UNIT, WHERE WE’LL GO INTO ESPECIALLY RURAL COMMUNITIES. I’M A COUNTRY KID MYSELF, BUT WE’LL BRING THE SERVICES TO THE VETERANS WHEREVER THEY ARE, SO THAT IT’S NOT JUST A IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME. WE WILL COME TO YOU, WE WILL FIND YOU, WE’LL BE WITH YOU, AND WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. IT’S IT’S AN ENDURING RELATIONSHIP, NOT A TRANSACTIONAL ONE. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
Nation’s Finest aims to help Northern California veterans find care
Updated: 11:38 AM PST Nov 11, 2025
Nation’s Finest has been helping military veterans achieve safety, stability and fulfillment for more than half a century.Now, the nonprofit organization’s newly appointed CEO, Chris Flaherty, who is a veteran and retired Navy officer, is putting out an all-call to let veterans know how the organization can help them find health services in Sacramento and the North Valley.Recently, Nation’s Finest celebrated a ribbon-cutting for a newly remodeled duplex for women veterans and their children at the Nation’s Finest Southgate location in Sacramento.It also deployed Mobile Service Units in Eureka and Santa Rosa to provide resources to remote veterans.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Nation’s Finest has been helping military veterans achieve safety, stability and fulfillment for more than half a century.
Now, the nonprofit organization’s newly appointed CEO, Chris Flaherty, who is a veteran and retired Navy officer, is putting out an all-call to let veterans know how the organization can help them find health services in Sacramento and the North Valley.
Recently, Nation’s Finest celebrated a ribbon-cutting for a newly remodeled duplex for women veterans and their children at the Nation’s Finest Southgate location in Sacramento.
It also deployed Mobile Service Units in Eureka and Santa Rosa to provide resources to remote veterans.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel