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Date: 5/4/2023
WESTFIELD — On Saturday, May 6, Stanley Park in Westfield will host a donation drive for the Homeward Vets organization from 8 a.m. to noon in the Asian Garden parking lot on Margaret Lane, across from the Veterans Memorial at the park.
Homeward Vets hopes to collect small household items for veterans to set up their permanent homes, such as dinnerware, cookware and small appliances such as toasters, microwaves, toaster ovens and coffee makers. Cash donations will also be accepted and will be used to purchase gift cards for Big Y and Stop & Shop for groceries.
Stanley Park Managing Director Victoria Connor said the private nonprofit park “is honored to host this fantastic event, and we support veterans and our military families in any way we can. Please consider giving to this worthwhile cause.”
Established in 2012, Homeward Vets is a non-profit organization that helps to provide home furnishings to previously homeless veterans moving into permanent housing, relying solely on contributions and donations.
President and CEO David Felty said, “We have been doing this drive for many years. The Westfield Elks donates volunteers and a truck for this drive every year.”
Felty served in the Navy from 1990 to 1995, including two deployments to the Gulf War, and moved to Massachusetts in 1999. Over the years, he would hear that things were going on with the veterans programs and wanted to try to find a way to give back to those men and women in need who were falling on hard times.
“There’s programs in place to house the veterans, but there weren’t any programs to furnish the housings they were being given,” said Felty. “I looked around to see if there were other organizations within the state or around us that did this. We started collecting furniture and formed the organization more or less to support those veterans who are transitioning from chronic homelessness.”
The organization started with a handful of people and now boasts a steady volunteer staff serving an average of 120 veterans a year. It has expanded to serve not only to homeless veterans, but all military — including National Guard and other service members setting up residences in bases in the area.
Stanley Park’s previous director, Bob McKeen, a Navy veteran, heard about the organization and reached out to it. He wanted to know how the park could help support the organization, so he and Felty came up with the idea of hosting a small appliance furniture drive. Felty told Reminder Publishing that it started out as a regular furniture drive and accepted just about any furniture people would bring. Now, they’ve scaled it back to small appliances, kitchenware, plates, pots and pans.
“We just hope for the best,” Felty said. “If we help one person, then we’re serving our purpose.”
For more information about the drive, contact the Stanley Park office at 413-568-9312, ext. 108, or Dave Felty, president of Homeward Vets, at 413-203-1479 or info@homewardvets.org. The park is at 400 Western Ave., Westfield. To learn more about Homeward Vets, visit www.homewardvets.org.