Mouthing the words “thank you for your service” doesn’t cut it to a veteran seeking help.
That’s why the Park Forest Veterans Commission is holding a volunteer training session from 10 to noon today in Village Hall. The goal is to staff the Veterans Closet, a small store at 388 Forest Boulevard.
The Closet, the only one of its kind in the Chicago area, contains gently used items ranging from clothes to furniture and pots and pans, which any veteran with an ID can take free of charge.
Nearly 70 years ago, Park Forest was created in an effort to give returning veterans of World War II a place to put down roots. It was a proper “thank you” for those who fought for this country. Since then, it takes almost all your fingers and toes to count the wars, police actions, skirmishes, invasions and operations in which U.S. lives were lost.
Less than 1 percent of the population serve in today’s military. Some vets who once volunteered to raise their right hand and swear allegiance to this country need more than a pat on the back. Today, merely saying thanks means little to vets who have been shot at too many times, or have seen their best friend killed, or who have experienced too many explosions and fire fights.
Last Septemer, the Closet began as an outgrowth of Park Forest’s community garage sale in which the Village’s Veterans Commission collected a parking lot’s worth of goods that were unsold.
Veterans in need were urged to come to the Aqua Center parking lot and sift through the items.
They were told: Take what you need. It’s free. And by the way, thanks.
There were enough items left over to fill two rental trucks sent to support facilities in Joliet and Chicago. The garage sale ended but the donations still kept coming.
Commission member Yvette Jones, who works to find decent housing for homeless veterans, saw an opportunity and with the help of village officials, the Veterans Closet was created. Depending on the day of the week, the Closet is either crammed with goods or an empty shell. Donations of money and gift cards to local grocery or department stores are needed and are tax-deductible. Donations of furniture await only volunteers with appropriate vehicles and muscle power.
Today, the Closet is open on Wednesday, Thursday and the weekends.
More Top Picks Best Mattresses For Sleep Apnea With Low
Karen Simac, a 47-year resident of Park Forest organizes shifts for volunteers, but most are Commission members and have day jobs. That’s why the need for a training session exists. The Closet doors need to stay open.
There is always a need. Both Hines and Jesse Brown Veterans’ Administration Hospitals are served by the Closet. So is Prince House, a 15-bed section of the Manteno Veterans Home set aside for “transitioning” veterans; those looking for a place to live.
So do not wonder what to do with all the old stuff that was replaced by new stuff from Christmas.
It’s too cold for a garage sale and too good to be thrown away.
Some veteran could use that couch, those pots and pans, or even that television set gathering dust in the back room.
If we don’t help those who put their lives on the line for us today, how can we convince the next generation of vets that they will receive help if they need it?
Jerry Shnay is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown and can be reached at [email protected].