The Grand Rapids Veterans Home Donation Drive is under way at the Mecosta County Senior Center. Activities Coordinator Beth Whyte says it's an annual event that provides clothes, gift cards, and other sundry items for veterans. But, she says, the drive isn't as robust as it has been in the past.

 

“I get a big box from one of the local stores and we just try to fill it up. Generally, it's filled up two or three times, it's overflowing and this year we're not even half way full yet.”

 

The drive runs through October and the Senior Center presents the veterans with the donations in November.

 

“Usually they come for our Veteran's Day program and this year it's going to be on November 10^th. They usually bring about twenty people from the Grand Rapids home for veterans. They bring a bus.”

 

Whyte hopes the donations will increase before then so they match the generosity shown in previous years.

 

“A lot of times we can only send part of it. We have so much that we'll end up taking two or three vans down loaded with goodies for them.”

 

Whyte explains that the Grand Rapids Veterans Home is the nearest facility to Mecosta County that houses veterans and it helps many of the veterans from this area.

 

“If something happened to one of our veterans here in this area and they had no place to go, more than likely that's where they would go to live. And, a lot of our veterans go down their for medical care.”

 

The drive runs through November 10^th. Wyte says you can get more information by calling 231-349-4354.