Addabbo on Ways of Helping Our Soldiers and Our Veterans

Press Release

For Immediate Release 

Contact:  Judy Close

718-738-1111

 ADDABBO ON WAYS OF HELPING OUR SOLDIERS AND OUR VETERANS

Queens, NY, February 16, 2010 – NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., who serves on the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs Committee, is urging his constituents:  “Now that the military is again answering the president’s recent call-up to Afghanistan, which includes many brave young men and women from Queens, please support the caring youth groups in my district in some great morale-boosting projects designed to applaud those now serving their country far from home, as well as our heroic veterans housed in the VA St. Albans Primary and Extended Care Center."       

The XT3 Youth Group of St. Margaret and Our Lady of Hope parishes, is involved in a long-term project with “Soldier’s Angels,” a group that matches U.S. soldiers in war zones with people who want to help them. This grass roots, adopt-a-soldier youth project will run until the soldiers come home. Dolores Voyer, the parish Youth Coordinator, explains:  “We will be collecting men’s and women’s toiletries, snacks, DVDs, CDs, magazines, phone cards, letters and cards, and of course, cash, to buy supplies and ship them to First Lieutenant N. Miles, a soldier in Iraq who can use your help.” First Lt. N. Miles is a platoon leader, of some 35 soldiers, who’s looking for support and encouragement for his soldiers, some of which have no family and don’t get any mail. Voyer said that the group is having a card and letter-writing campaign and hopes to be able to send as many cards and letters as possible to the soldiers. The youth group is also looking for cash donations so that they are able to pay for shipping, which can cost up to $12 a box. Addabbo explained that help is needed and individuals can volunteer. To join the youth project in assisting soldiers or to make a donation, please call the Youth Group office at 718-326-1858 or email at stm.olh.youth@gmail.com. Care package items most frequently requested include beef jerkey, Chex Mix, nuts, trail mix, Gatorade powder, toilet paper, after shave, sand scarves, books, magazines, water pistols. More complete care-package requested items, item size guidelines, as well as the restricted items, are available from the parish Youth Group office.

On Thursday morning, February 11, Senator Addabbo visited residents of the VA St. Albans Primary and Extended Care Center in Queens, as representative of over 150 students from three schools in his district and delivered their “Valentine’s for Vets” greetings. Several grades of students from St. Pancras in Glendale, P.S. 88 in Ridgewood and MS 210 in Ozone Park worked for the past several weeks on crafting creative, colorful, expressive greeting cards and letters, to show appreciation for the veterans’ sacrifice and service from World War II to the Middle East conflicts. Their teachers and principals met with the Senator earlier that morning when he picked up the work done by the various classes. Senator Addabbo then visited over 100 veterans to personally deliver heart-felt greetings to each from the school children, affectionate tokens filled with expressions of their gratitude and sent in time for the holiday all about love.

For more information on the above, please contact Senator Addabbo’s district office in Howard Beach at 718-738-1111.