WORCESTER — Distribution ofwinter coats to veterans at the Central Community Branch YMCA parking lot Friday is one of the ways that a Massachusetts foundation works to help veterans year round.
Massachusetts Military Support Foundation organized the event to distribute 500 coats with support from Ocean State Job Lot, Worcester Red Soxand the Central Community Branch YMCA. The distribution is part of the Buy, Give, Get Program, a drive organized by Ocean State Job Lot andmilitary support foundations to collect and distribute coats across ninestates.
Don Cox, president and CEO of Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, said his organization was founded in 2017 to provide assistance to veterans and military families in Massachusetts. Originating in Cape Cod, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation has expanded its reach to cover the rest of the Commonwealth. According to its website, the foundation covers 383,000 veterans and active-duty military personnel as well as their families who live in Massachusetts.
Veterans who want a coat during one of thecoat drives have to go to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation and preregister to get a properly sized coat reserved for them at a distribution center. Cox said that most of the veterans who need to collect coats are over the age of 60. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for the coat drive to save veterans and their families from incurring extra expenses, Cox said.
“Because of the pandemic and the layoffs and the lack of work, veterans are much more susceptible this year than they have been in the past,” Cox said. “They’re in need to make sure that they can pay their mortgage, pay their medications and buy their food. So a coat like this is like a gift from heaven.”
Financial repercussions for businesses and lost income generated by the spouses of veterans, whom Cox said veterans tend to rely on for income, were side effects of the pandemic that particularly hurt veterans, Cox said.
Along with the coat drives, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation also distributes meal kits to veterans and military families who are suffering from food insecurity, especially during the pandemic. The foundation also offers a grant to help veterans with service-connected disabilities find accessible housing and helps homeless veterans connect withthe Homeless Reintegration Program, a federal grant program aimed at finding employment for homeless veterans. When the school year begins, the foundation also organizes a drive to give children in military families backpacks filled with school supplies.
Ocean State Job Lot started the coat drive with assistance from veterans groups five years ago after the company’s foundation saw the need to assist veterans, Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation Executive Director David Sarlitto said.
Sarlitto said the program has grown from 500 coats to 42,000 across New England, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Cox said his organization gave out all available coats in prior years that he helped distributeand expects all the coats to be distributedthis year as well.Sarlitto said that veterans' groups have been key onthe distribution side.
“The biggest problem is distributing them," Sarlitto said, "They can and they built the organization to be able to do that."
Pam Suprenant, senior executive director of youthdevelopment at YMCA Central Mass., said that the YMCA got involved after hearing about the coat drive fromUnited Way of Central Massachusetts and a member of the Worcester Red Sox organization.
While charities tend to receive many donations during the holiday period, Sarlitto said the need for aid exists year-round for many veterans. He credited groups like Massachusetts Military Support Foundation for doing programs year-round to support veterans.
“The need for veterans is 12 months a year. Every month there’s a veteran in need and there’s a different need,” Sarlitto said, “What you’re seeing now is not an isolated event. It’s not a big promotion. This is happening 12 months a year.”
Cox said he was grateful to Ocean State Job Lot for the support they providethrough various programs.
“They help us, not only with coats, but they help us with our food program. They help us with our Christmas program for the childrenand they help us with our back-to-school program,” Cox said.“It’s a partnership that hasbeen critical for the success of our veterans.”
Worcester's new minor league baseball team, the Worcester Red Sox, also supported Friday's coat drive. Josh Maurer, aplay-by-play announcer for the team, helped direct cars at the lot. Maurer said he hopes participating in events like the drive helps connect the new team with the community. Maurer said the pandemic has shown why events like the coat drive are necessary.
"Looking at the world over the last 10, 11 months, I think makes you appreciate what you have," Maurer said."I feel if you have the means to do something in any way to help others who might not be as fortunate as you are, you almost have a civic and moral responsibility to do so."
