The Martha s Vineyard Times
Ocean State Job Lot donates coats to veterans
From left: Sheriff Bob Ogden, Tisbury Chief Mark Saloio, Oak Bluffs Chief Erik Blake, veterans outreach coordinator Bob Tankard, Chilmark Chief Jonathan Klaren, and West Tisbury Chief Matt Mincone help deliver coats to veterans in need. Lucas Thors
Veterans on-Island received 10 brand-new winter coats that were donated as part of a charitable initiative by Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation.
More than 4,000 coats were donated to veterans and support organizations across the commonwealth. Over the past four years, the Buy, Give, Get program has donated more than 65,000 coats to veterans in need during the holiday season.
for the first time. i m here with don cox, the president of the massachusetts military support foundation. you have really been seeing this firsthand. as far as the demand goes, you were saying yesterday that you have these popup pantries all the way from boston cape cod. tell me about what you re experiencing as well. well, this is a shutdown, the fourth one, it s the worst. the last one was in 2013. now we re going through hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. we ve sent out this week alone 140,000 pounds of food to the coast guard families here in massachusetts, connecticut, new hampshire just to keep them going with their families through this shutdown. and we ll continue to do that until it s resolved. reporter: and what has it been like for you on a personal level to help these families during such a difficult time. it s probably the most gratifying experience i ve had in my life.