Donations needed for annual homeless veteran event

Jan. 08--Fulfilling a wish of those who helped him during his transition from active-duty to retired, NCWorks Career Center-Onslow County Career Advisor for veterans Reggie Roy continues to help veterans in anyway he can, focusing on those that are homeless.

Each year, NCWorks hosts a Veteran Stand Down and Outreach event that connects homeless or indigent veterans with community resources and donated goods they don't regularly have access to.

With the event nearing, Roy is turning to the community for help in the form of donations of canned goods, socks and personal hygiene and smaller items for those veterans who come to the event.

"I had three sergeants major help me out before I retired," Roy, the coordinator of the event said. "They asked me to pass what I had learned from them on. And that's what I am doing."

For seven years, veteran organizations throughout the community as well as community assistance programs have gathered in an effort to reach those veterans who have fallen on hard times.

Groups like the VA, Salvation Army and United Way will be on hand at the event to assist veterans, as well as Smithfield Foods, which will be cooking a meal, Roy said.

Onslow Community Outreach and Onslow Women's Center will also be there, among other nonprofits, Roy said.

Roy said most of the event's resources will be veteran related; however, the event is also for the overall homeless population.

Last year between 100-160 people attended, Roy said, with about 90 of them veterans.

The stand down not only provides the homeless with basic necessities to get through some of the colder weather getting ready to come through the area, but to also help those veterans who are ready to enter housing facilities do so.

Each year the number has slowly grown, but Roy is hopeful that it is because word is spreading about the event.

"It is an ongoing battle to end veteran homelessness," he said. "We want to focus on those that want to be housed but don't want to forget about those that chose to live where they have been. That's why we do the food drive. To give them things they can take with them to help them out."

Roy said canned food and socks are priorities during the collection, which ends Feb. 3.

Community involvement goes beyond helping refill the storage unit with donated goods, Roy said.

"We want to keep the community involved," he said. "We want to keep the problem in their eyes. You never know if who you pass could be a homeless veteran. You could pass by a homeless child and never know. We want to keep the problem visible so we can help."

Donations can be dropped off at NCWorks Career Centerm located at 461 Western Blvd., Suite 106 through Feb. 3.

Donations can also be picked up by contacting Roy at reginald.roy@nccommerce.com or Richard Gorton at richard.gorton@nccommerce.com.

Roy asks that donated items are small in size so that the recipients are able to take them with them easily.

The Veteran Stand Down and Outreach is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m.Feb. 7 at the American Legion Post 265, 146 Broadhurst Road in Jacksonville.

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