The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 137 of Greater North Dallas (DAV) held its first Operation Veterans Angels, a holiday food box distribution event. In a joint effort by local veteran and patriot organizations, the DAV and their event partners distributed boxes of fresh produce to local military personnel, veterans; homeless veterans; gold, blue & white star families and first responders.
According to Bill Connel, DAV Chapter 137 Commander, a retired U.S. Army veteran, “Operation Veterans Angels started as a simple idea that stemmed from a much greater need: to serve our veterans.”
Connel and Ken Warnke, a lifetime DAV Member and Army veteran, discussed the needs of our veterans and how great it would be to give back to their chapter members.”
“We have a lot of shut-in veterans in our community that could be without food for holiday season,” Warnke explained.
With the idea of feeding veteran families, Warnke spoke to FreshPoint about making a small donation. FreshPoint offered to give the organization more than they imagined.
“We were hoping for 200 bags of food…but the event grew into this enormous act of giving. With our partnership with FreshPoint, we have 1,200 boxes of fresh fruit and produce to give to our military, veterans, gold star, blue star, white star families and the families of our first responders,” Warnke said.
Because of this generous gift from FreshPoint, the DAV realized they could now reach far beyond their DAV Chapter and help veterans throughout a wider region. So, the DAV enlisted help from multiple other veterans’ organizations and local businesses, and Operation Veterans Angels was formed.
The DAV coordinated Operation Veterans Angels in cooperation with its event partners: Operation Frontline Warriors Foundation; the American Legion, Terry Fisher Post; the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Marine Corps League; the Cowtown Warriors; the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR); Lakepoint Church; Walmart Super Center in Rockwall, American Legion Post #100, Royse City and VFW District 1 and District 3.
These organizations provided volunteers to help staff the event and delivered boxes of food to families in their military and first responder communities.
In addition to food box deliveries, there were about 500 boxes available for pickup at the city of Fate DPS Office.
A Veterans Claims Clinic was on-site so that veterans could get assistance with benefits questions and service-connected claims from a team of experienced Veterans Service Officers.
“We hope to make Operation Veterans Angels an annual event that grows yearly and encompasses a much broader area in the future,” Connel said. “This is our way of serving those who served and just saying thank you to everyone who has sacrificed so much to our country and community. We want to make a difference and say, thank you for your service!”
DAV Chapter 137 of North Dallas expressed gratitude to FreshPoint, a Sysco Company who made this event possible with their generous donation of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Connel said that many veterans don’t know that help is available in their local community. DAV Chapter 137 has written approximately 7,500 claims for local veterans and for some out of state. It has provided over a half million dollars in volunteer hours to veterans.
As a chapter, local DAV 137 serves this entire region along with parts of Dallas County.
“We have about 2,000 members on our roster, and we are always happy to welcome new members,” Connel said.
If you are a veteran in need of assistance with benefits or service-connected claims, please reach out to DAV Chapter 137 of Greater North Dallas. https://davchapter137.org
DAV Chapter 137 of Greater North Dallas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity.