Volunteers unload gifts, Wednesday at the Coatesville VA.
COATESVILLE — Transportation Management Association of Chester County delivered hundreds of gifts for Veterans to the Coatesville VA Medical Center on December 17, 2019.
The Coatesville VAMC is a major stop along the Coatesville-Link route and the event is the result of the partnership between TMACC and the VA and was developed to give back to Veterans. This year marks the seventh year that TMACC has rallied the community to help provide gifts for veterans.
Donations were coordinated by Tim Phelps, Executive Director for Transportation Management Association of Chester County through the Foundation for the Improvement of Transportation. Ten donation boxes were distributed throughout FIT membership locations allowing all FIT members to donate.
“Having a brother-in-law, a father and an uncle who served I know how important it is to give back,” explains Phelps. “I know the sacrifice every single day and this was an opportunity to help out with that.”
Betty Shaw, Executive Administrator at TMACC, has been the driving force behind TMACC’s annual gift delivery. Shaw doesn’t just collect from FIT, donations come in from the Summerfield Community in Elverson, the Rose View Community in Jennersville, and the Boy Scouts.
Shaw shared what has fueled her drive, “They just have my heart. They absolutely have my heart and I will fight as hard for them as they have for us.”
The CVAMC Voluntary Services team and FIT team worked together to get all the gifts into the Great Hall.
“We can’t thank [TMACC] enough for their time and the money and effort they put into their drive. Thank you all from the VA to all of you,” said Jennifer Lilly, Chief of Voluntary Services.
The gifts collected through a TMACC gift drive are not only delivered to patients at the VA Medical Center, but to veterans and their families who receive transitional and subsidized housing assistance through VA’s Grant and Per Diem Programs.
“It’s amazing to me how little some of the Veterans have when they arrive. Some of them have just the clothing on their back,” said Kirk Fernitz, Director of Community and Congressional Affairs for Coatesville VA Medical Center. “It’s very helpful when TMACC can get the community involved and can bring out donations like this.”
Items collected will decrease the out of pocket expenses Veterans would spend to outfit their homes and include necessities like sheets and blankets, towels, pots and pans, microwaves, silverware and cutlery, and a television.
