Two area nonprofits launched a holiday collection drive to provide local veterans with clothing, personal care products, and art supplies.<\/p>\n
Scranton Tomorrow, a community and economic development organization, and the Rotary Club of Scranton seek new clothing including sweatpants and sweatshirts (sized medium to 3XL), all sizes of colored T-shirts, and all sizes of belts, along with toiletries like shampoo, body wash, deodorant, men\u2019s and women\u2019s shaving razors, shaving cream and tissues, and art supplies including canvases for painting, coloring books and crayons.<\/p>\n
Items may be dropped off at Scranton Tomorrow\u2019s office, 317 Linden St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday.<\/p>\n
Martha \u201cMarty\u201d Peak Helman, a Rotary International director, will join Scranton Tomorrow and Rotary officials Saturday morning to deliver the donations to the residents of the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center on Penn Avenue.<\/p>\n
Upon learning of Helman \u2018s upcoming visit, Ty Holmes\u00a0president of the Rotary Club of Scranton, and Scranton Tomorrow officials worked with staff from the veterans center to organize the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to provide service to our heroes,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cFor me, especially, as a veteran, those who reside there are near and dear to my heart. As we\u2019re getting close to Veterans Day, you want to honor all veterans but this is something they can physically see, a tangible thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holmes added that Rotary International and Rotary District 7410, which has more than 40 clubs throughout northeastern Pennsylvania, also joined in to help spread the word.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had an incredible response from the clubs and community members have also responded,\u201d Holmes said.<\/p>\n
Specifically, the Northeast Theatre Dance Academy in Dunmore collected 275 pairs of socks and added a personal touch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re even going a step further by putting tags on each pair of socks that say thank you for your service,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cI\u2019m just so blown away \u2026 they\u2019re personalized and I think that\u2019s phenomenal. I\u2019ve lived all over the world and there is no place that\u2019s more supportive of its veteran community than northeastern Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rotary Club of Scranton previously partnered with Scranton Tomorrow on several events, including beautification projects at the Gino Merli Center, and Holmes called the latest collaboration a \u201cno-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Ward, project manager of the Safe, Clean, Green & Design program for Scranton Tomorrow, said the collection is a great way for the community to show local veterans that their service and sacrifice are appreciated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have given so much to our country, and this effort is a small way for us to show our gratitude,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is more than a project for me. It\u2019s personal. I\u2019m a member of the Rotary Club of Scranton, and my dad was a veteran.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rotary Club also plans to honor several members of the Gino Merli staff with a special recognition on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re familiar with the challenge coin in the military, being presented with a coin is significant and special because you are basically being told you exceeded the standard of expectations,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cI brought that same mentality into the Scranton Rotary Club and developed a coin so that when someone does something, we can take the time to thank them. Instead of just a handshake, I want to be able to give them something tangible because they\u2019re taking care of my heroes and our nation\u2019s heroes.\u201d<\/p>\n
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