St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, 288 East Jefferson St. in Hampshire, will be honoring Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with a mass at 8:30 a.m. and a Veterans Day breakfast in the parish hall at 9:15 a.m. All military veterans are welcome to attend.
“The seventh grade students will serve breakfast, while the eighth grade students will talk with the veterans,” said Vicki Gray, school secretary. “The younger grades will provide entertainment.”
More Top Picks Best Reading Wedges For Bed
Gray has three children who are students at the school: Alethea, eighth grade; Gordon, seventh grade, and Aurelia, fifth grade.
Alethea and her eighth grade classmates decided to honor veterans in another way this year. They ran a household goods collection drive for military veterans at Transitional Living Services in Hebron.
According to its website, the mission of Transitional Living Services is “to provide the highest quality services available rendered in a humane and compassionate manner that promotes dignity and personal choices to veterans who are homeless, disabled or disadvantaged.”
“My family was moving to another house in Hampshire, and we realized we couldn’t fit everything from our old home into our new home,” said Alethea. “My grandmother, Linda Gray, came up with the idea of donating our items along with other donated items to the veterans.”
Alethea said she wants to support veterans because of her family’s military history.
“My grandfather, Gordon Gray, was in the United States Air Force,” she said. “My dad, Todd Gray, served in the United States Army. My uncle, Robert Urban, served in the United States Navy.”
The students collected around 70 items from people at the school and the church.
“We’ve collected things like silverware, sheets, pillows, soaps, toothbrushes and toothpaste,” Alethea said. “We are also bringing food for the food pantry there.”
Veterans who plan to attend the Veterans Day event at St. Charles Borromeo are asked to call the school before November 11 at 847-683-3450.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.