a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation duly recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
Did you know that one out of every three homeless men in the United States is a Military Veteran or a person who served in the military?
Isn't it time that we overlook their drug or alcohol addiction and try to help these men and women instead of looking down on them as degenerates or weak-willed people. These men and women are our brothers and sisters; they are someone's son or daughter.
They need our help!
As Red Skelton would say when he closed his show each night,
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
I Have Never Met A Homeless Veteran That I Didn't Care For.
I began asking other co-workers, friends, family and anyone else who would listen to my plan, to donate money so that I could purchase socks for the homeless veterans at the Shelter. Through the generous contributions from my friends and co-workers I raised enough money to purchase enough socks to provide each of the 150 homeless veterans with three pair of men's white crew socks. My wife and our four children helped me Christmas wrap each package, and place a sticker "TO A VETERAN, MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SOMEONE WHO REMEMBERS YOU, YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN." and I took these packages to the Shelter to be given to the homeless veterans on Christmas morning.
As the number of homeless veterans grew during the past fourteen years, I have became more active and especially because of my friends' generousity and willingness to spread the word about the Sock Fund, I have been able to provide enough presents for over 350 homeless veterans each year at the Shelter and I have increased each package to six pair of socks.
SOCKS WRAPPED BY SECOND GRADE STUDENTS OF STUDLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS AND SECOND GRADERS OF PALMER RIVER SCHOOL IN REHOBOTH, MASSACHUSETTS.
During Christmas of 2002, I was able to provide 150 packages to the Central Massachusetts Homeless Veterans Shelter in Worcester, Massachusetts. I also distributed 100 packages to the Bristol Veterans Home in Bristol, Rhode Island. Although many of these veterans at the Bristol Veterans Home are not considered homeless, they do not have family and friends to provide them with Christmas presents, I thought is was appropriate to give them something for Christmas. After all, would you like to be in a Veterans Home during the holiday season?
I was also responsible for donating packages of socks to be placed in a "Care Package" and delivered to Veterans at the Davis Park Veterans Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
My plans for the years to come is to visit other Veterans Shelters, Veterans Hospitals and Veteran Homes nationwide and seek out Veterans who are alone and provide them with presents too.
My mission is not to provide these Veterans with socks to keep their feet warm; but to provide them with Christmas presents to lift their spirits during the holiday season; and to remind them that someone still cares about them, and that they are not forgotten.
If you would like to contact me, please call (508) 838-1318 and/or send me an email at sockfund@comcast.net or you can mail your check made payable to Joe's Sock Fund and the mailing address is:
Joe's Sock Fund for Homeless Veterans, Inc.
28 Wright Circle
South Attleboro, MA 02703-7262
Motorcycle Association |
for Homeless Veterans |