Where did you serve and what did you do?

USAF 1966 to 1987 Air Traffic Control

How are you Still Serving?

I, through our post, work with the Myrtle Beach VA Clinic to provide needed food items for their food bank and food distribution program and clothing and personal hygiene items for the many less fortunate veterans who come to the VA Clinic for help and assistance. The way I work with the VA Clinic Volunteer Services Manager (Mrs. C. Anderson) is that she will send me an email with a detailed list of needs. I will then go out and find the monies needed or the donations needed to fulfill the VA Clinic list. Just recently, Mrs. Anderson sent me a list of specific non-perishable food items needed for the food bank and clothing items needed for male and female veterans. The clothing items included sweat pants and underwear. With the help of ShipShape, a woman owned, Navy veteran creator/owner out of Norfolk Va and Bonnies Coats for Kids and Veterans a non-profit managed by a member of our post auxiliary and our personal donation. I was able to purchase for and provide to the VA Cliic 10 pair of men’s sweatpants and 12 pair of men’s underwear. 11 pair of women’s sweatpants and 24 pair of women underwear, and six long-sleeve, turtle-neck sweater-shirts. This, along with $ 370 worth of requested/needed food bank food items. A separate request that came from Mrs. Anderson at the same time, was that a social worker that works with VA Clinic veterans had a veteran who was starting a new job but did not have decent enough clothes to wear. The request was for two pairs of slacks and two button-down shirts. Within 3 days of the request, I had purchased those items and delivered them to the VA Clinic on a Friday so the veteran would have new clothes to wear on the new job that Monday. Picture is of me and Mrs Anderson with a couple of the women’s sweats purchased by Bonnies Coats for kids and Veterans. $370 in needed food pantry items were also delivered this day.

Why do you do it?

I know there are veterans in need. I try to do my part to help. Fortunately, my Post always helps and my friends in business, non-profits and my community do a great job in supporting my effort to help those veterans who are less fortunate.