HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — It's a small ask for those who risked it all.
"Sweat pants, sweatshirts, thermal underwear, socks," explained Mike Price, AM Vets Post 59 First Vice Commander.
Gloves and sleeping bags are on the list too. Those and other basic clothing items are being collected here at the AM Vets Post 59 in Hanover Township to help veterans in need this holiday season.
"This is my favorite time of year because we have The Giving Tree," said post commander Tammy Wenger. "The Giving Tree helps homeless veterans. When we go out with the FSB, which is Forward Support Base, we go out and we look for homeless veterans. We don't just let them come to us. We go into the woods. We go into abandoned buildings, we go we go searching for them."
With help from members of the Forward Support Base Initiative, a non-profit to help homeless veterans off the street and back onto their feet.
"Chaz and I will usually talk to them. We'll bring them out to our trailer. We'll clothe them. We'll try to get them off the street. Obviously, that's our main goal. But either way, we're going to give them some clothes, some granola, some water, whatever they need, hygiene," added Price.
"I was homeless, and I got in that homeless veterans program when they dressed me up with brand new clothing; I felt like a million dollars, and I felt like I could take on the world, and because of that, that's why we're here today," explained President of FSB, Chaz Kraynak.
Volunteers say there are more homeless veterans out there than you might think.
"When I was homeless, I didn't tell anybody I was a veteran. So when they come out, and they do these, these surveys, and, you know, the censuses, and they asked them, are you, you know, are you homeless, blah, blah, the age, name, and all that stuff, they ask, Are you a veteran? Most of us will say no because we're too proud.," added Price.
Last year, the alliance helped to clothe 75 veterans in Luzerne County alone.
Right now, AM Vets are hoping to help as many former servicemen and women as they can.
"We got one bag in, which makes me very nervous that things aren't here yet, you know. And I mean, everybody came out last year, and I'm hoping that they come back out twofold," said Wenger.
If you want help with this effort, you can contact the AM Vets Post 59 by calling 570-825-8197.