On November 11, Amber Thomas, owner of The Nail Whisperer salon in Zephyrhills, Fla., will offer army veterans and their spouses free nail services in honor of Veterans Day. Along with free manicures, the salon will offer a champagne lunch that has been organized by Thomas and the help of other local businesses.

Thomas says the veterans appreciate how she extends the offer to their spouses, and many of them become repeat customers, while others receive a day of pampering that they usually can’t afford otherwise. While the offer is notably generous, Thomas says the vets aren’t the only one receiving benefits from the experience.

“I absolutely adore my country and have so enjoyed meeting each and every vet and hearing about their stories and learning what serving our country meant for them,” she says.

She was inspired by her patriotism, along with personal connections the service: Thomas’ son wants to be a military policeman, and her son’s godfather was a vet: “I used to listen to him for hours talking about his time at sea and traveling the globe.”

She began offering the free service three years ago when she couldn’t attend the local parade and instead thought, “Why not bring the vets to me?” Thomas hopes that spreading the word about her philanthropic event will encourage others to find innovative ways to give back, regardless of their business’ magnitude. 

“I have a small nail studio,” she says, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t give back to our vets in a very big way.”