Painters District Council 14’s C.O.R.E Program had the honor of participating in the 11th Annual Veterans Food Drive in 2019, providing an opportunity to give back to the heroes who’ve bravely served our country. It was inspirational to hear their stories and have an opportunity to speak with our veterans. A volunteer later shared a story of a veteran they spoke with who had been shot in the head during service and survived when many of his fellow soldiers had not. He now resides at a local veteran’s facility and was so excited to be at the food drive. Living alone made the opportunity to be around his fellow brothers and sisters a special occasion.
We had hundreds of volunteers turnout last year, comprised of DC14 members and local volunteers, to help ensure our veterans had food for themselves and their families at Thanksgiving. Our goal is for each veteran to receive (12) bags filled with:
Each of the recipients seemed shocked at the amount of food we were able to provide. Though they expressed a lot of gratitude, it was simply our turn to give back to those who had selflessly sacrificed their service time for us.
This event has grown tremendously year after year, and to date we’ve helped over 1,000 Veterans and their families enjoy the same nourishing comfort that defines the holiday traditions. Unfortunately, our collection efforts this year will be challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and our inability to safely gather/interact in large groups. So, your time and support are even more critical this year!
There are several ways you can be involved as we need:
It takes a team of volunteers to help make this dream a reality. PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!
For more information, contact Helen Chung at: (312) 415-0048
