Dignity Bags for Homeless Veterans

"Every veteran deserves more than just our gratitude; they deserve the assurance of a life without hardship. Supporting their essential needs is the least we can do to demonstrate our thanks for their service."  This project is a multi-club effort led by Freeport-Merrick which benefits General Needs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving veterans.  The quote is from their website.  The Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club is responsible for securing new bath towels and washcloths and then staffing a table with those items for a kit-building event on May 17 to create 240 duffle bags that will be distributed free of charge to homeless veterans and veterans in transition housing.  We are sharing this responsibility with the Floral Park-Bellerose Rotary Club.  Other items that are included in the duffle bags include:  underwear, t-shirts, socks, and toiletries which will be secured by General Needs, Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club, Hempstead-Uniondale Rotary Club, Southwest Queens Rotary Club, South Queens Rotary Club and Ridgewood Savings Bank.  My husband and I have recently participated in a distribution event organized by General Needs for male and female veterans temporarily housed on the grounds of a VA Hospital and the experience was both memorable and life changing.  Being invited to the human condition touches the very depths of what drives genuine compassionate care.