Braunstein & Carrozza Thank Community for Donations to the 19th Annual Valentines for Vets Gift Drive
Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein welcomed Sacred Heart Girl Scout Troop 4000 to his district office to accept their donations.
Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein at the St. Albans VA Community Living Center with hospitalized veterans, as well as his staff, St. Albans VA Assistant Chief of Voluntary Service Lisa Cummings, Benjamin N. Cardozo High School students, and Cardozo High School Assistant Principal Peter Georgatos.
Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein is pictured with members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #32 and Deirdre Samuel, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at the NYS Veterans Home at St. Albans.
Thousands of donations of candy, hand-written cards, new clothing items, playing cards, puzzles and toiletries were received from 29 schools, as well as civic organizations, Boy and Girl Scout troops, and many local residents. The gifts were delivered on Friday, February 13th by Assemblyman Braunstein, his staff, and students from Benjamin Cardozo High School, to the hospitalized men and women at the St. Albans VA Community Living Center and the New York State Veterans Home at St. Albans.
"I want to sincerely thank everyone, especially our local public and private schools, for their overwhelming support for our Valentines for Vets gift drive. These donations helped to brighten the day of hundreds of veterans by showing them that we care about them and appreciate their sacrifices," said Assemblyman Braunstein.
"We asked the residents of Northeast Queens to once again consider making a hospitalized veteran their Valentine this year, and they answered that appeal by generously donating thousands of items for our hospitalized heroes," said Ann-Margaret Carrozza.
"Additionally, I want to thank our friends at the Whitestone Volunteer Ambulance Service and Community Board 11 for their participation in the gift drive," said Braunstein.
Among the schools and community organizations that contributed to this drive were:
Bayside Community Library, Bayside High School Key Club, Bayside Kiwanis Club, Benjamin Cardozo High School, Church on the Hill Girl Scout Troop 4069, Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy of Bayside, Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy of Douglaston, Girl Scout Troop 4376, Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, Holy Cross High School, Holy Family School Daisy Troop 4061, Holy Trinity Brownies, Holy Trinity School, Hudson Guild, Immaculate Conception School, IS 25, IS 125, Jefferson Democratic Club of Northeast Queens, Lutheran School of Flushing and Bayside, Mary's Nativity - St. Ann Saturday For Kids, MS 67, MS 158, MS 294: Bell Academy, Our Lady of the Snows School, P 9, PS 31, PS 32, PS 41, PS 79, PS 94 Girl Scout Troops 4235, 4237, 4241 & 4595, PS 115, PS 159, PS 169, PS 184, PS 221, PS 811, Sacred Heart Boy Scout Troop Pack 49, Sacred Heart Girl Scout Troop 4000, Temple Torah of Little Neck, The Lowell School, The Mary Louis Academy, and the William Spyropoulos Greek-American Day School.