More than 50 Wheaton area veterans were able to enjoy a Christmas dinner this year partially due to the generosity of Mercy for Me, a national organization dedicated to helping veterans who are experiencing financial hardship.
Mercy for Me donated $250 each to the and in Wheaton.
Chris Crismond, Post 268’s Commander was thrilled with the offering “It was a nice event, and we were able to welcome about 35 people." The Post shopped at area wholesalers to get the best deals, and actually had some of the donation left over. “The $250 was more than enough, and we plan to use it to feed people on New Year’s Day” Crismond said.
Mercy for Me is a national organization, but is based locally in Bethesda. Henry Fawell, who works with Mercy for Me, described the process of how they selected the two Wheaton organizations as the beneficiaries of the holiday donation.
“We reached out to several veteran organizations in Montgomery County, but when we told Wheaton’s American Legion and VFW about how we could help with their plans to serve Christmas meals to veterans, their eyes just lit up,” Fawell said. “What better way to celebrate the holidays and fulfill our mission than by helping out in our own backyard."
The $250 donations stemmed from Mercy for Me’s Global Giving Campaign, which connects small nonprofits to individual donors online.
“I think our efforts here at Post 268 match what they [Mercy for Me] were looking to do and we hope to use some of their other programs to help some needy families around,” Crismond said. “I think it’s going to be a big thing for us in the coming year.”
