Bordentown Township groups came together this month to help local military veterans and their families enjoy this holiday season.
Bordentown Township was the host to a holiday food giveaway on Dec. 18 at the National Guard Family Programs Joint Military & Family Assistance Center on Route 206 in the township.
The collaboration between the Bordentown Veterans Advisory Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapter 899 and Homiak Transport, Inc., participated in giving away approximately 10,000 pounds of donated food to military active duty and retired personnel.
With township volunteers, veterans and officials on hand helped unload a box truck full of frozen goods from the parking lot at the National Guard building.
Chairman of the Bordentown Township Veterans Advisory Committee Bryan Branson said that after he helped gather food for a local veteran in need on Thanksgiving this year, he wanted to find a way to help more veterans for Christmas.
“People need food, and that’s what we are doing,” Branson said. “When I started asking for help, I couldn’t believe how many people came out of the woodwork. So many people donated… 90% of the food came from the VVA. When I asked them for help, this happened.”
As a veteran himself, Branson explained that efforts like this not only help local vets this time of year, but can also serve an important personal purpose.
“When you give back, you feel better,” Branson said. “You reach a point in your life where you can now shed the guilt of Vietnam and become a part of society.”
Branson said that guilt stems from fellow comrades who perished during his time in combat. Although he explained that it’s tough to come to grips with, helping local vets now helps relieve it in some ways.
“You say to yourself, ‘Why do I deserve to be here?’ This is why,” he said. “Everyone of us who was in service has suffered at one time or another with not having enough or not knowing where to turn to get it.”
Alongside Branson, President of the VVA 899 Bill West was also on-hand at the food drive and explained that the VVA wanted to get involved because it can efforts like this can also help the overall moral of vets in need when they come back home.
“It’s something we do because there is a need,” West said. “If you are in the military, you don’t want to say yourself that ‘I can’t make it’ or ‘I’m having a rough time’ because we are very proud. More people should really try to donate.”
Not only were local veterans involved with this year’s food drive, Bordentown Township Mayor Stephen Benowitz also attended the event.
Benowitz explained that in 2017, he put it to the township veterans advisory committee to do as much as they could to help out and honor local veterans. Ever since, the township has hosted multiple events such as its annual Memorial and Veterans’ Day ceremonies as well as efforts like this to help out local military service men and women.
“This is all part of giving back where veterans can come in, get food and anything they need,” Benowitz said. “It’s beautiful to see government and the veterans working together. It’s a pleasure to be part of it. The Veterans Advisory Committee is a terrific group, and they are giving so much back to the community.”
