Washington DC VA Medical Center Hosts Grateful Giving Donation Drive
Washington DC VA Medical Center hosted a Grateful Giving Donation Drive to sponsor six families in need this holiday season.
A Mental Health Nurse in the Women's Health Clinic, Tiffany Hill, RN, coordinated with different health services in the medical center to host the drive.
“We wanted to give back and help Veterans who really needed it this year,” said Hill. “We asked social work service and the Chaplains to help identify families who had faced serious struggles this year, and then we reached out to see what they most needed and wanted for Christmas.”
Six families were chosen by their individual situations, which included a single mother of six who was recently diagnosed with cancer, a family who unexpectedly lost their father this year, and a family who lost everything in a house fire. These families were given a “wish list” to fill out that included questions about clothing sizes, favorite colors, likes and dislikes as well as special requests for gifts this year.
“We connected with each family to make sure we understood their needs,” said Hill. “We then reached out to different services throughout the medical center to see if they would like to sponsor a family.”
Dental, Pharmacy, Women’s Health, Mental Health and Quality Services, as well as the Fort Belvoir Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, volunteered to “adopt” a family from the list. Employees from those services took their family’s wish list and went shopping.
“The support we received from staff was incredible. We had originally planned to sponsor three families, but so many people wanted to help that we were able to expand it to six,” said Hill. “Every time we had a family with items missing from their list, someone stepped up and provided the resources to complete their wish list.”
In addition to purchasing the items on the wish lists, DC VA Medical Center staff also purchased boots and coats and donated more than $500 in gift cards for the families.
“We see Veterans all day long that are going through so much, and we just wanted to help,” said Hill. “To be able to see how grateful some of these families were to receive these donated gifts, it just felt so good to see the difference we were able to make.”
On Saturday, December 17, the families were able to pick up their gifts from the Women’s Health Clinic. Sharmeka Williams is a single mom of two who cares for her disabled parents and recently lost her house. This year she was unable to buy birthday presents for her two children. She said being able to have something under the tree for her kids to open on Christmas morning will brighten their holiday.
“It’s a lifesaver knowing that I have support and backup to help me do these things that I haven’t been able to do,” said Williams. “I have been so stressed about not being able to get my kids anything for their birthdays and Christmas. God just blessed me right now and I am so grateful for these amazing people and all that they are doing.”
This was the first year that the medical center coordinated the Grateful Giving Donation Drive, but Hill said they hope to make it an annual event and expand their impact by establishing a committee.
To learn how you can volunteer, donate and give back to Veterans in need at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, visit: Volunteer Or Donate | VA Washington DC Health Care | Veterans Affairs