Readers Write: Please make the holidays brighter for our veterans

The Island Now

For several years the American Legion Auxiliary has reached out to you for help in spreading holiday cheer to our veterans residing at the Northport VA Medical Center.

Your response has consistently overwhelmed us and last year we prepared and delivered over 200 holiday gift bags for our veterans.  The gifts brought tears to the eyes of staff members and smiles to the faces of our veterans.

We are again asking for your help to do something similar.  A “Wish List” of items that would be helpful to our veterans may be found on our website, manhassetala.org, in the “Events” section.  It includes specific toiletries for men and women, various clothing items including sweatpants, pajamas and shirts, military baseball caps, soothing CDs, family-oriented movies and Broadway musicals.

There is also a need for six robotic dogs and cats used specifically for dementia patients and for 35 rechargeable men’s shavers.  For the sake of consistency, we are “wishing” that earmarked monetary donations would be made to allow us to purchase these items.

Manhasset American Legion Post 304, 27 Bayview Avenue, will be open on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., to accept donations for this worthy cause.

The Scouts and our Junior Auxiliary members will be in back of Raindew, accepting both monetary donations and purchased items.  We are very grateful to Raindew for their continued support of our veterans and the American Legion Auxiliary’s ongoing programs.

Please join us in spreading cheer to those who have sacrificed so much in the service of our great nation and in the preservation of our freedoms.  Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our veterans.  May you each be blessed in abundance at this beautiful holiday season.

For additional information, please feel free to contact Pat O’Brien at 516-850-5702 or patobrien17@msn.com.

Patricia O’Brien

President, American Legion Auxiliary Manhasset Unit 304

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