The National Association of American Veterans, Inc. (NAAV), President and CEO, Constance A. Burns (in mid-March 2024) chose the Woodlands at Reid Temple Senior Apartments in Glenn Dale, Maryland to locate veterans, caregivers, and their family members most in need of daily household supplies, toiletries, and food. The search took several weeks to locate veterans and their families most in need. There are seven (7) who were most in need of the aforementioned services to be provided by NAAV, Inc. for four (4) veterans, two (2) caregivers, and one (1) widow residing at Woodlands Senior Apartments in March 2024.
Once identified, Lola Taylor Johnson, NAAV Senior Advisor for Caregivers and Veterans, prepared a shopping list for household supplies, toiletries and food from Walmart and Dollar Tree in Maryland. Lola informed NAAV that this would be a challenge, but that she was determined to make it happen! So, Lola contacted her sister in Raliegh, North Carolina for assistance with the shopping and the next morning Lola drove over five hours to Raleigh to gain the support of her sister and shop for the items on NAAV’s Food and Toiletries List for veterans and their family members.
First stop, Walmart, for paper products and cleaning supplies! Seven of everything on NAAV’s list, wow! We needed two shopping carts. Next, on to the personal care section, again seven of everything! Finally, we stop at the Dollar Tree, once again picking up seven of everything on the list. By the end of the day, we arrived at my nieces’ home and unloaded the van. I had a total of five volunteers to help pack fourteen gift bags for seven veterans. See attached images showing items purchased in March and April 2024. We all had a wonderful time packing items purchased into individual bags.
When I arrived home in Maryland from North Carolina, I was exhausted! I unloaded the gift bags into my wagon and started delivering them to the veterans, caregivers, and their family members. They were so surprised and thankful to receive them. (See images below).
Not known to the veterans, caregivers and family members, there was a second surprise! Anthony Evans with Capital Area Food Bank and a new NAAV Partner in Maryland donated boxes of canned goods, food, fresh fruits, and vegetables and providing the food that veterans need today to help build a better tomorrow. Today, Capital Area Food Bank provides more than 50 million meals to almost half a million area residents, every year.
Capital Area Food Bank will continue to give monthly boxes of food to the veterans, caregivers, and family members NAAV, Inc. has identified residing at the Woodlands at Reid Temple Senior Apartments in Glenn Dale, Maryland.
Special thanks to Janice Turner, Marketing Director, for Helping Hands Adult Day Services located in Washington, DC, Clinton and Capitol Heights, Maryland for their
donation in support of our veterans, caregivers, and their family members most in need in the DC metro area. In an area as large as the DC metro area ensuring that we help veterans, and their caregivers and families receive healthy food it takes the whole community, and that is why NAAV partners with other nonprofit organizations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The Helping Hands Adult Day Services has served DC and Maryland for more than twenty-six years providing health monitoring, recreation activities, counseling, meals and snacks, and caregiver support. For more information, call: (301) 856-5553 in Clinton, Maryland and (301) 736-6622 in Capitol Heights, Maryland, email: info@hhadultday.com. To provide financial support for this endeavor, contact NAAV, Inc. to donate visit www.naavets.org click on Donate Today or call: (202) 465-3296, email: info@naavets.org. Thank you.