The holidays are here, Hanukkah is past, Solstice is fast approaching, Christmas is just around the corner and Kwanzaa is sneaking up. For most of us this means gathering around a table somewhere with our loved ones to exchange presents, food, and cheer. But more than 26,000 veterans have been wounded in the current two wars and they might be spending the holiday season in a VA hospital.That doesn't even count the thousands who served in all the wars/conflicts before the terrorist attacks who still use the VA system for health care.
Working Assets, a progressive phone company (keep reading conservatives!), has a project called Volunteer for Change where they are looking for FIVE people to help distribute phone cards to residents of Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago:
Visit your local Veterans Affairs
hospital, and deliver phone cards donated by ordinary Americans so that
vets stuck in the hospital can call their loved ones over the holidays!
(To contribute to help buy the phone cards, please click here.)
This is a joint project of CREDO Mobile
from Working Assets and Veterans for Peace. Your local coordinator will
contact you with specific information on where and when to meet. You
can also get in touch with him/her at the phone number and email
address listed below.
Special RequirementsGeneral health; if you have the flu, you should probably not visit a hospital.
When:Fri 12/21
2:30pm–3:30pm
Where: Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
820 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612
Map
I did this last year and while it was a tad depressing to see first hand how many veterans are in the hospital, it was well worth the hour of my time. Unfortunately my schedule doesn't allow me to participate this year, but what about you? Some of us also brought paperback books to give out as well. This was good because we actually brought so many cards that the administrators thought it would be took hard to distribute the cards, so we gave our books and the admin would give out the cards later. I have no idea how things will play out this year, but please sign up and bring some cheer to those who did serve our country - whether we support(ed) the conflict they were involved in or not. It was interesting to walk through the medical center with a former Vietnam Vet who wasn't at all proud of his service, yet wanted to show his support.
When she's not being a do-gooder Veronica also blogs over at Viva La Feminista & Chicago Moms Blog.
NOTE: To comment on this or any blog here at Chicago Parent, you
need to register & log in at the top of the page. It's easy and you
won't get spammed!