Red Cross representatives Kristin Burke and Greg Scrivens along with Suncoast Credit Union SALUTE team members Janette McElwain and Matthew Hiltz present 50 household essential kits to Bay Pines VA Healthcare System leaders Lori Iraheta-Yem and Kristine Brown. (Photo by Michael Brock, Bay Pines VA Public Affairs Specialist).
November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, an opportunity to share appreciation for America’s brave service men and women for the sacrifices they make -- often at great personal costs.
We know we can never fully repay our military heroes for their service, but we can reaffirm our commitment to be there for them with support and resources, just as they have been there for us.
This fall, our Service to the Armed Forces and Fund Development teams had the opportunity to partner with Suncoast Credit Union to address some unique needs of a special group of Veterans. Through this collaboration, we were able to purchase, assemble and deliver 100 kits of household essentials to local VA medical facilities working to place formerly homeless Veterans into permanent housing.
The program, known as HUD-VASH (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing), combines federal housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help in-need Veterans and their families find and sustain housing solutions.
"The Red Cross is here to assist Veterans, service members and their families with their unique needs,” said Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Gregory C. Scrivens, who serves as the Service to the Armed Forces Program Director for the American Red Cross of Central Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Our goal is not just to be there for Veterans through emergencies or when disaster strikes, but to strive every day to make their lives a little easier.”
One hundred "welcome home" kits were delivered to James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa and Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in St. Petersburg. Each kit contained home essentials like laundry and cleaning supplies, bathroom necessities, toiletries and important household items.
“We’re honored that organizations like the American Red Cross and Suncoast Credit Union have partnered to help set Veterans up for success,” said Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Deputy Director Kristine Brown. “Helping Veterans achieve permanent housing remains a top priority for our organization, and these welcome baskets reflect another example of the support Veterans receive from across our amazing communities.”
Special thanks to Suncoast Credit Union’s Alliance for Leadership and Unification of Troops and Employees (SALUTE) team for their support.
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