{"id":272817,"date":"2026-08-26T21:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T21:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/272817\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T21:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T21:24:11","slug":"veterans-coalition-prepares-save-22-event-as-services-for-berks-veterans-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/272817\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Coalition prepares Save 22 event as services for Berks veterans grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania<\/a> is continuing to expand its support for veterans in Berks County while preparing for its annual Save 22 event in September, an effort aimed at raising awareness of veteran suicide and supporting the organization\u2019s ongoing programs.<\/p>\n

Michael Weil, Executive Director of Daily Operations for the Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania, said the volunteer-based organization works to address needs ranging from transportation and food insecurity to clothing, household items and financial assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a volunteer-based, 100% volunteer organization,\u201d Weil said. \u201cEvery can of soup, every sock, every dollar goes back to a veteran in one way or another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the coalition\u2019s growing programs is transportation for veterans<\/a> traveling to medical appointments. Weil said the organization has four vans on the road five days a week with six drivers, taking veterans to appointments at the Lebanon VA Medical Center and other medical providers.<\/p>\n

The organization is also active in addressing food insecurity. Weil said VCOP maintains four freezers and a basement stocked with food purchased or received through donations. Volunteers will deliver food directly to veterans who are homebound or otherwise unable to get it themselves.<\/p>\n

Those services are also provided through monthly Stand Down events<\/a> in Reading and Pottstown. The Reading event is held at City Park in the parking lot above the basketball courts, while the Pottstown event is held at Riverfront Park. VCOP\u2019s website lists the gatherings for the second (Reading) and fourth Saturdays (Pottstown) of each month, respectively.<\/p>\n

At the Stand Downs, veterans can receive groceries, a hot meal, clothing, toiletries and other necessities while connecting with veteran service organizations and other resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do 150 veterans a month, just at our Stand Downs,\u201d Weil said of the combined Reading and Pottstown events, adding that the figure does not include veterans assisted through transportation and other programs.<\/p>\n

Weil said the food operation has grown considerably. On a given Saturday, he estimated VCOP can distribute about 1,200 pounds of food, including cereal, pasta, sauces, meat, fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Prepared meals are also available for veterans who may not have access to a stove.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have taken it to the next level,\u201d Weil said. \u201cWhen they come there, they realize that they\u2019re getting enough food to last them at least a week and a half, two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization also assists veterans moving into housing by helping obtain furniture and other household necessities. Weil said VCOP has helped with electric bills and phones and works with other organizations to connect veterans with resources it cannot provide directly.<\/p>\n

The goal, Weil said, is to make asking for help as easy as possible.<\/p>\n

That approach is influenced by Weil\u2019s own experience after military service. A U.S. Army veteran who served during Desert Storm, Weil said he struggled for years without understanding how post-traumatic stress disorder and his combat experiences were affecting him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know why I was having trouble,\u201d Weil said. \u201cI didn\u2019t understand PTSD. I didn\u2019t understand what those things did to me being in combat. I just thought I was angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

His struggles eventually led to psychiatric hospitalization and suicidal thoughts. Support from other veterans, he said, helped him recover and ultimately shaped his approach to helping others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand it so well that this mission that I\u2019m on for the last five years is that important to me, that I want to get the help there before they get to that point,\u201d Weil said.<\/p>\n

Weil said he now sees veterans who once came to VCOP seeking assistance return to volunteer at Stand Downs or spend time with others they have met through the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the veterans that volunteer with us now are the veterans that we helped,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The coalition\u2019s upcoming Save 22 event is another part of that effort.<\/p>\n

The event will be held Sunday, Sept. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Nativity BVM Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, 2111 Philadelphia Ave. in Cumru Township.<\/p>\n

The centerpiece will be a display of 660 American flags arranged to spell \u201cSAVE 22<\/a>.\u201d The event will also include food trucks, vendors and veteran resources.<\/p>\n

Weil said the event was developed around veteran suicide awareness and is held in September in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month.<\/p>\n

This year, VCOP is also offering a flag sponsorship program. For a $22 donation, a flag can be dedicated in honor or memory of a veteran. Sponsors can provide the veteran\u2019s name and rank, which will be placed on a card attached to one of the flags.<\/p>\n

After the display remains in place for about two weeks, Weil said the sponsored flag will be removed and given to the donor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can remember forever that they\u2019re supporting their loved one, or their friend, or their brother, or whoever it might be that they\u2019re donating that $22 to,\u201d Weil said.<\/p>\n

Money raised through fundraisers helps support expenses associated with VCOP\u2019s programs, including fuel and insurance for its transportation services.<\/p>\n

The organization is also continually seeking donations of hygiene products and nonperishable food. Weil said body wash, shampoo, canned vegetables, soups, canned meats and other shelf-stable foods are consistently needed because supplies move quickly.<\/p>\n

People interested in learning more about the organization can also attend a Stand Down. The next Reading Stand Down is scheduled for Sept. 12 at City Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to the Stand Down. Meet the veterans. See what we do,\u201d Weil said. \u201cSee that whatever you\u2019re going to donate is going to the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n

While much of VCOP\u2019s work has centered on Berks County, Weil said he hopes to expand the organization\u2019s reach throughout Pennsylvania. The coalition has already assisted veterans outside the county, and some forms of assistance can be coordinated remotely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, I\u2019d like to be the guy that\u2019s getting a phone call from Pittsburgh, or the guy that\u2019s getting a phone call from Altoona,\u201d Weil said. \u201cThat would be my vision, to be the Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be the premier veterans resource,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Veterans Coalition of Pennsylvania is continuing to expand its support for veterans in Berks County while preparing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-272817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}