Latest news with #NationalDayofService
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Harlem VFW provides meals at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home
HARLEM, Ga. (WJBF) – Harlem Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6445 provided meals and companionship at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home on Friday, May 23 for their National Day of Service. Organizers say it's another way of giving back to those who served, while showcasing the important role veterans play in the community. 'It's important for us to honor our veterans of course that's why were in the VFW,' said Erik Averill of Harlem VFW Post 6445. 'One day some of us might be in here. it's just really eye opening when you come up here and get to talk to them about the things they've seen in their lifetime.' This is the VFW's 4th annual nationwide day of service. Photojournalist credit: Gary Hipps Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Oconomowoc food drive, VFW 'Fill the Humvee' event benefits pantry
The Brief The community helped "Fill the Humvee" for the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. VFW Post 2260 organized the event as part of the National Day of Service. Fill the Humvee was one of 1,500 VFW Day of Service events nationwide. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - The community helped "Fill the Humvee" for the Oconomowoc Food Pantry on Saturday, part of the fourth annual VFW National Day of Service. Local perspective VFW Post 2260 organized the event, which is now in its third year. Community members were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items. All donations directly benefited the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The humvee was parked at the VFW Post on Wisconsin Avenue. Organizers hoped the effort would help ensure no family experiencing food insecurity goes hungry. "People think of Oconomowoc as a wealthy area, and there's a lot of – there's a mixed population here – and there are food insecure (people) here, and what better way to help out than by helping those that need a lift up," said Garret Collins, VFW Post 2260 commander. In addition to collecting food, the VFW accepted cash donations. There were also people posted at three area grocery stores to collect donations. Anyone who missed Saturday's collection can still contribute to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry; yellow barrels collect donations at grocery stores throughout the year. Big picture view Fill the Humvee was one of 1,500 VFW Day of Service events nationwide, according to organizers – three times the number of events compared to last year. The Source Information in this report is from event organizers and FOX6 News interviews.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Blankets and broth benefit unhoused in Luzerne County
KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A day of service to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior brought two community groups together to support another group: The unhoused. Hundreds gathered on Martin Luther King Day at the Friedman Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Kingston. Blankets and broth: Many associate these things with warmth and comfort, and the members of the NAACP and Jewish Community Center aimed to provide just that. 'This is a wonderful project that brings the JCC together, NAACP together, and quite honestly, many other groups throughout our community in order to really give a warm hug to the unhoused in our area,' said Cathy O'Donnell with O'Donnell Law Offices. Martin Luther King Day was officially signed in as a holiday in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan, first observed three years later in 1986, but it wasn't until 1994 that the holiday was marked as a National Day of Service. 'It's not a regular holiday of celebration, it's a holiday of remembrance, remembering what Dr. King did, and hoping that sacrifice translates into volunteerism in the community,' stated David Yonki, the former vice president of NAACP Luzerne County Branch 2306. First held in 2024, NAACP Branch 2306, the Friedman JCC, Wilkes-Barre Health Department, and O'Donnell Law Firm partnered to honor King's legacy by bringing people together to give back to the community specifically, those dealing with homelessness. Honoring MLK Jr.'s life in Dunmore 'MLK was such an important figure, right? So to teach our children about what his ideals meant and how it has helped build this country is very important, obviously. They're going to learn a little about it in school, but I think it's even more important for us as parents to pass that message along to them. Specifically, you know, what it means to us and maybe some of the things that we've done over the years to give back,' explained Bryan Hooks, a volunteer from Kingston. Volunteers brought cans of soup and broth to be donated to Sarah's Table, the JCC's food pantry. Then volunteers spent the day weaving fringe blankets for Ruth's Place, the Salvation Army's Kirby Family House, and the Keystone Mission. Organizers say they more than doubled the number of volunteers from last year, from 45 to nearly 100, hoping to grow the event even more in the future and continue to follow the example Dr. King led. 'It honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the example that he led, and we're following that example. You can see here today,' commented Jane Messinger, President of Friedman JCC. This year, the group made 100 blankets, and they hope to increase that number next year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
