DENVER A Colorado magazine is hoping to connect the veteran community while showcasing nonprofits that offer resources to those who served.Veterans Life Magazine is printed every other month, with the first edition debuting this past February."There are veteran magazines that talk about a salute to service and a great legacy and something they did, but nothing connecting the nonprofits and the entrepreneurs that are with the veteran community, people that start-up businesses. There's so much about that," said James Daigle, creative director of Veterans Life Magazine.The inspiration behind the magazine came from a photoshoot Daigle did with a veteran."I didn't like the way I saw veterans being photographed. I thought they just didn't show their glory and what they stood for. So that started the process," he said. Flipping through the pages of the magazine, there is a range of content, from spotlighting veteran-owned businesses to honoring forgotten heroes, along with available mental health resources. "We still struggle with suicide. That is just a big struggle. And so bringing groups together, nonprofits that help prevent suicide, who work with [veterans], get them out hunting, camping, fishing, all those things that bring the unity together in the veteran community, I think it was lacking here," Daigle said.Daigle is always searching for people and inspiration to fill the pages. "The first thing we do is start looking for stories. So my biggest role with the magazine is to find stories," said Daigle. "So we're out there knocking on doors, asking questions. We are now getting more and more folks calling into us, saying, 'I've got a great story.'" For the May/June edition, Daigle called Michael Gropper in hopes of sharing his passion for cooking with other veterans. "Culinary Bootcamp for Veterans is a 501(c)(3) that works out of American Legion Post One," explained Gropper. "We started in 2019, and our mission is to support veterans that are homeless or in transition with not only culinary arts training over eight weeks it's a free program but also self-confidence advocacy and life skills needed to successfully reintegrate into the community." Gropper is a U.S. Army veteran who served for eight years as a food service specialist. He described being featured in the magazine as an honor and a way to show the veteran community what life can look like after service. "One, for the veteran community, it is really exciting for us to be highlighted, and the stories shared of who we are, what we've done, what we're doing now within the community. So it's really important for that outreach," said Gropper. "Veterans thrive a lot on this community that we have, whatever branch of service we may have been in. And so, it's really nice to see a magazine that focuses on us and who we are."Once the magazines are finished, Daigle ensures the copies are distributed throughout the state, including at veteran-owned businesses along with VFW posts."Every VFW we try to hit. If we're not hitting your VFW, let us know. We want to drop them off. Our mission is to get it in the hands of veterans," said Daigle.Another option to get the magazine is to subscribe online. Daigle recommended contacting them through email at [email protected] if there is a veteran or veteran-owned business that would make for a great feature."You'll never find anything in this magazine that puts someone down. The stories in here are touching and will make you cry," said Daigle. "But also, you can see the light and you can see where they're going.""I always say we've been discharged from service, we haven't been discharged from each other," Gropper said.