Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Director Heidi O'Sheehan and Augustin Ayala III from Miami VA Healthcare System receiving Thanksgiving bags.
MIAMI, Fla. (November 24, 2020) – Yesterday, the South Florida Red Cross along with the support of community partners, delivered 50 Thanksgiving bags to veterans in need ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend. The holiday bags were filled with all the essentials needed for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including a gift card to purchase a turkey or any other items to complete their meal.
Due to the gracious support of the Helping Souls Food Pantry from Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church and the Sunflower Service Unit of the Girl Scouts, the Red Cross was able to give back and support many veterans in Miami-Dade and Broward.
For a second year in a row, the Helping Souls Food Pantry, a feeding ministry of Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church, offered to support veterans this Thanksgiving through the Red Cross. Pantry coordinator Jerry Giostra shared, “We didn’t even hesitate when we found out there were veterans in our community in need we just said yes! It is our privilege to help those in need, especially those who have served in our Armed Forces”.
On Monday morning, Heidi O’Sheehan, Red Cross Director of the Service to the Armed Forces and International Services, delivered the thanksgiving bags to the HUD-VASH Program at the Miami VA Healthcare System.
HUD-VASH is a collaborative program between HUD and VA that provides HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help Veterans who are homeless, and their families, find and sustain permanent housing. Among VA homeless continuum of care programs, HUD-VASH enrolls the largest number and largest percentage of Veterans who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness.
“In the American Red Cross, almost everything we do is in conjunction with community partners,” said Heidi O’Sheehan, Director for the Service to the Armed Forces and International Services. “For this project, I would like to thank the Helping Souls Food Pantry from Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church and The Sunflower Service Unit of the Girl Scouts, both of these partners were thrilled to assist the American Red Cross in providing some Hope and Happiness this Thanksgiving to veterans in the Miami and Broward HUD-VASH program.”
This holiday season felt more important than ever for the Red Cross and its partners to deliver hope and happiness to veterans and their families.
Kristina Altavilla, the mother of a girl scout member, said, “teaching the girls the importance of giving to others means everything to me, we are not in this world alone. We need to always offer a hand when possible, especially for our veterans who have fought for us”.
Despite COVID-19, the Red Cross continues to support its military families through its Hero Care Network and locally in a virtual capacity to ensure everyone’s safety.
“We deeply appreciate the help and support of community partners like the American Red Cross who help us at the Miami VA serve the thousands of veterans living in our community,” said Helen Stolin, supervisor for the Broward HUD-VASH Program. “Especially when serving the homeless community, this is an example of the American Red Cross stepping up and supporting our heroes”.
Every day, the Red Cross supports military members, veterans, and their families across the country and around the world. The Red Cross provides resources for veterans or members of the armed forces in need of assistance. To learn more, please call 877-272-7337 or download the American Red Cross Hero Care App at redcross.org/apps.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/southflorida and visit us on Facebook and Twitter at @SFLRedCross.
# # #