Employees from Nationwide gathered at the Red Cross office in Harrisburg to prepare 300 backpacks to be delivered to homeless veterans throughout central Pennsylvania as part of the Red Cross Totes of Hope Program.
Totes of Hope provides backpacks filled with personal care items to homeless veterans throughout central Pennsylvania.
Since 2011, the Red Cross has worked with individuals and corporate sponsors to secure the items needed to fill backpacks that are then distributed to those in need through a partnership with the Lebanon VA.
Nationwide, a strong supporter of the program for the past several years, not only assisted with the backpack assembly, they also supplied 200 backpacks and more than 6,000 personal care items.
Their generous donation complemented that of Pennsy Supply, whose employees delivered close to a dozen crates filled with items for the program a few months ago.
Due to the support of companies, such as Nationwide and Pennsy Supply, combined with strong community involvement from individuals throughout central Pennsylvania, this year’s program was a huge success, resulting in more backpacks filled than there have ever been able to create in the past.
“It is heartwarming to see the outpouring of support for our homeless veterans,” commented Kathy Doran, director of the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Program in central Pennsylvania.
“The Red Cross is proud to be able to support our veterans who have given so much of themselves for our country, and we are thankful for the individual and corporate donations that make this project possible.”