Sweet Peas Cafe is a place where everyone should feel welcome, according to its owner.  

"The last few months it's been even more exciting because the cafe has become a place where veterans gather," said owner Nina Baldassare.  

That gathering is what motivated a Coast Guard veteran and Cornwall resident, Vania Czumak, to visit on Wednesday.

"I couldn't shake it and I had to come today. When I came in, I noticed a service member on the wall and I immediately felt a connection with his mom. It was by divine order," Czumak said.   

What she saw was the dedication to the owner's son Corporal Daniel Baldassare, stationed at Stewart Air National Guard Base, who died in a military plane crash last year. 

"I just feel like what I do for them, I'm doing for Daniel. And at the end of the day that's what makes me feel good, and [what] fulfills what I needed to fulfill for Daniel," Baldasare said. 

His love of music and good food lives on at the cafe — combined with Baldassare's love of community, shared every time his mother embraces the military members who walk in. 

"Sometimes an extra person, an extra hug will be the release you need to let the tears flow and then get back in the game again," Czumak said.   

Baldassare says the cafe offers a feeling of warmth and reception for veterans.

"[They] have a home where they feel that comfort food and music," Baldassare said.