Stars & Stripes Chapter Aids Veterans for Thanksgiving and Beyond

Brookhaven Chapter of Military Outreach for Service member Margarita Shaber (center) gives $640 worth of grocery store gift cards to the Long Island-based nonprofit organization, Boots on the Ground.

The Brookhaven Chapter of Military Outreach for Service (MOS) continued its mission to assist veterans in need with this year’s [2017] Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Using MOS funds and employee contributions, the employee organization donated $640 worth of grocery store gift cards to the Long Island-based nonprofit organization, Boots on the Ground.

In addition to gift card donations, MOS was part of the annual campus-wide effort to collect non-perishable food items for those in need. Employees donated more than 1,500 pounds of food, which was split between Boots on the Ground and several pantries throughout the town of Brookhaven.

According to Boots on the Ground, the donation came at a perfect time. The day after the campus pickup, volunteers spent the day stocking the organization’s pantry shelves and making Thanksgiving dinner care packages that would be distributed in time for the holiday.

The military nonprofit provides a multitude of support to veterans. They connect veterans with programs and support groups to deal with daily struggles, including those who suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It ships quarterly care packages to military units that do not have access to supplies. They regularly schedule trips to VA hospitals to deliver supplies as well as offer companionship by sharing a meal.

For more information about the Brookhaven Chapter of MOS, visit the Brookhaven Campus Employee Organization webpage (http://win.web.irs.gov/Campus_webs/Brookhaven/Employee_Organizations.htm).