Volunteers at the Women of Quail Creek Homeless Veterans Drive sort items for local homeless veterans.
JoAnn Haberer
Hopefully by now you’ve set aside a bag or box of winter-weight clothing and a few household goods for the Saturday, October 20 Homeless Veterans Clothing and Household Drive. The collection team will be ready and eager to accept your donations from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the parking lot between the Arts & Technology Center and the Madera Clubhouse. This year we’ve invited the local Green Valley/Sahuarita community to help us make homeless vets’ lives a little easier, so there may be a bit of traffic getting into the event, but that’s a good thing! With over a thousand homeless veterans asking for assistance from the local Tucson VA, every item helps.
Once again, let’s review the details: gently-worn and clean winter clothing is needed: both men’s and women’s. This includes coats, sweatshirts and sweaters, shirts and long pants and shoes—especially athletic shoes. If you’re donating underwear, such as t-shirts, underpants and socks, they must be new and still in the packaging. We’re also asking for household items such as kitchen wear, clean bedding, lamps, vacuum cleaners and other things needed to set up a home for veterans who are moving from the street into transitional housing. Bicycles are a much sought-after item and can make a big difference for homeless vets seeking a job.
Volunteers at the event will accept your donations and box them up for transport to the Tucson VA. If you need a donation receipt for tax purposes they will be available at the event.
Thanks for your support of our local veterans. They served for us; now it’s our chance to show we truly appreciate their service and care about them now that they’ve returned home.