Photo By Sgt. Thomas Belton | Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, ARCD and volunteers helping with the food drive pose...... read more read more
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MANCHESTER, N.H. – Veterans from across New Hampshire united for a unique mission on the streets of downtown Manchester, April 25.
That mission: escort soldiers from 1st Battalion, Army Reserve Careers Division and volunteers delivering more than 5,000 pounds of food and other necessities to the Liberty House, a non-profit transitional home for homeless veterans.
Members of the New Hampshire Patriot Guard Riders and the Combat Veterans Association, along with local and state police brought relief during a time that is usually lacking donations.
Hundreds of Army Reserve soldiers from across New Hampshire made this possible, said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Shannon, an Army Reserve career counselor from 1st Battalion, ARCD.
Without support like this from the community, programs like the Liberty House would suffer. Donations to the Liberty House support veterans so they don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, or when they’re going to have another hot shower. It allows vets to focus on what they need to be successful in rehabilitation.
“The idea of veterans helping veterans is really a powerful thing,” said Rebecca Searles, a case manager for the Liberty House. “It means a lot to our veterans and to us at the Liberty House. We couldn’t do what we do without people coming out and doing things like this for us.”
“You can’t let veterans go to the wayside after they retire,” said Capt. Robert Sedgley, a career management officer from 1st Battalion, ARCD. “You serve your time, you serve your country, and your country can’t forget you. We, as soldiers, should be looking out for veterans and we can’t forget them.”
Residents of the Liberty House include veterans from all the branches of the services, regardless of combat status or length of service. Veterans receive support ranging from employment and housing assistance, to case management and agency referrals.
“Part of our Warrior Ethos is ‘I will not leave a fallen comrade,’” said Shannon. These vets have fallen on hard times, and we want them to know that we will be there to pick them up and put them back on their feet."
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Army Reserve for their efforts and for being willing to step up and reach out to their fellow veterans who are going through a tough time,” said Searles.
Liberty House also partners with the New Hampshire Food Bank. Once their pantry is full, extra food from large donations like this one will go on to support other needy people in the Manchester, New Hampshire, area.
We’ve had a tremendous amount of success with the Liberty House these past few years, and we hope to continue our relationship with them for the foreseeable future, said Shannon. We’re also looking to find additional veteran outreach programs to continue our mission of veterans helping veterans.
For more information about how to donate or to volunteer at the Liberty House, visit libertyhousenh.org.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2015 10:01 |
| Story ID: | 162401 |
| Location: | MANCHESTER, NH, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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