MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia Moose Association (WVMA) has come together to give back to those who have served our country. In an impressive spread of goods, the organization had compiled home goods for veterans who need a warm welcome home.
“This year one of our core initiatives is value veterans, so we thought we would give back to the community by doing this welcome home kit,” said Mick Brooks, Heart of the Community Chair with the WVMA.
He and his wife Alta, in conjoined effort with the both the men and women of the Moose they accepted an abundance of donations from bed comforters to household cleaners. The couple said it was estimated about $10,000 dollars of goods were donated.
“When they give, they give,” said Alta.
There are 25 chapters of the WVMA and 22 lodges in West Virginia. Donations came from all over the state.
“We’re going to start working on the August project. It will be the same place, here,” said Alta.
Next time around Alta and Mick said they’ll pick out another organization. Alta is thinking about helping out local nursing homes.
Wesley Walls, Chief Public Affairs and Community Relations of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Clarksburg, WV said all the goods will go to the VA in Clarksburg and then will be distributed around the state.
The starter kits will go to homeless vets or veterans who run the risk of being homeless. Walls said the idea is when vets get their homes the kits will alleviate some of those expenses.
“The chemicals, the trash cans, mops, brooms. When you tie them all up become expensive. The average cost for them that we’ve come up with is about $1,000 to get them to start up. Which all of us might take for granted,” said Walls.
He said this is a way of thanking those who have served the country and also a way of making sure they start off on the right foot.
“The VA’s mission is to make sure we end homelessness so what I think we see the most is veterans who might be living with parents or might be living with somebody,” he said.
Walls also said the VA relies heavily on organizations to give back to veterans and donate to them. He said anyone interested in giving to the VA can visit www.clarksburg.va.gov and click on the “volunteer or donate” tab.
