Founder’s Page

Dedicated to Veterans, Defined by Compassion!

The Story Behind The Mission

Some people serve for a season. Others spend a lifetime making sure there is a place for someone else. For Mrs. Electa Thompkins, service has never been a job–it has been a calling. After a distinguished career in the military that surpassed 21 years, she has spent the last 16 years continuing to serve veterans in her role as a civilian on Dover Air Force Base.

Behind every position she’s held was something important–the people. When you spend nearly three decades serving others, you learn that leadership is not just about completing the mission. It’s about making sure people know they matter. Her current position can be difficult. It brings her close to the families and the sacred responsibility of caring for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Behind every uniform is a person. Behind every service member is a family. Behind every veteran is a story. And behind every person who serves is a life that deserves to be honored—not only for what they gave, but for what they may need when their service is over.

The Question That Sparked A New Chapter

After decades of military and civilian service, Mrs. Thompkins continued to see veterans and members of her community who needed someone to stand beside them. She began to recognize something deeply important and eventually she found herself pondering a question:

What does it mean to continue serving when the uniform comes off? For her, the answer was simple—keep serving people.

Serving our veterans does not end when they leave the military. Sometimes, that is when a different kind of service begins. A veteran may need encouragement. A family may need support. Someone may simply need to know that they have not been forgotten. And sometimes, what a person needs most is to hear: “You still have a place here.” That belief became the seed of something greater.

The Birth Of Saving A Place For You

In October 2025, that seed became a reality. Saving a Place for You, Inc. was born from Mrs. Thompkins’ lifetime of service and her passion for her community. The name itself tells the story. The name “Saving a Place for You” carries a deeply personal meaning. It reflects the belief that no veteran, family member, or member of the community should feel left behind. It means believing that everyone deserves a place where they are welcomed, respected, heard, and valued. It means refusing to allow people who have sacrificed for others to become invisible. It means recognizing that veterans are not simply former service members. They are parents, grandparents, spouses, brothers, sisters, neighbors, mentors, and friends. They are people with experiences, dreams, challenges, and contributions that still matter. It means creating a community where people do not have to wonder whether they still belong. It means they always have a place at the table with someone willing to listen and a community willing to stand alongside those who have given so much.

A Call To Action

Mrs. Thompkins has already spent a lifetime answering the call to serve by making sure others had what they needed to succeed. Now, through Saving a Place for You, Inc., she is opening the door for others to join her because this mission cannot be carried by one person alone. It takes veterans. It takes families. It takes volunteers. It takes community partners. And it takes donors and supporters who believe that when someone has given so much to others, we should be willing to save a place for them, too.

Through Saving A Place For You, Mrs. Thompkins hopes to partner with other like-minded people and organizations. Your support will ensure every contribution says: “We see you.” “We appreciate what you have given.” “You have not been forgotten.”

This is more than the story of an organization. It is the continuation of a lifelong calling: to serve, to honor, to encourage, and to remind every person who crosses it’s path: “There is still a place for you.”